Few states have done a better job of choosing official symbols than Idaho. It covers just about all the bases without going overboard, and most of its symbols are unique. Moreover, they’re nicely balanced between the mountains and the lowlands.
The cutthroat trout and monarch butterfly are both shared with several states. However, it’s hard to imagine a more suitable state fish than the cutthroat. Idaho’s worst symbols are its official dance, the ubiquitous square dance, and its garish state flag, which some experts decry as one of the nation’s worst.
Idaho’s nicknames are short and memorable: Gem State, Gem of the Mountains and Land of Famous Potatoes. The potato was recently designated the official vegetable.
EcoSymbols
Idaho’s classic plant symbols are the western white pine (the state tree) and syringa (flower), both of which were discovered by Lewis and Clark. It recently adopted the huckleberry as the official fruit. None of its plant symbols are shared with another state or province.
The mountain bluebird serves as the state bird of both Idaho and Nevada. Idaho is the only state that recognizes an official raptor, the peregrine falcon. Several states have adopted official horses, but only Idaho chose the Appaloosa, which is closely associated with Idaho’s Native Americans. The cutthroat trout and monarch butterfly round out Idaho’s animal symbols.
The Idaho star garnet is the logical official gem stone for the Gem of the Mountains. The official fossil is related to the official horse. However, the Hagerman horse lived several million years ago, before the Ice Age.
Idaho’s state soil is Threebear, a name that suggests a variety of frontier symbolism.
Cultural Symbols
Few states have fewer “cultural symbols” than Idaho, which is pretty much limited to the square dance. Of course, the square dance says little about Idaho. Ironically, the potato is a much more exciting symbol.
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