Symbolically speaking, Kansas dominates the Great Plains like a cyclone tearing through a field of sunflowers. The cottonwood, meadowlark and bison are the most popular symbols among the Great Plains states, but only Kansas and Wyoming are represented by all three. And how can anyone watch a bison without humming Home on the Range, Kansas’ state song?
Wyoming shares its symbols with the Rocky Mountains, while Kansas has no mountains at all. But Kansans look beyond the mountains through their state motto, Ad astra per aspera, which translates “to the stars through difficulties.”
Though its flag is rather lackluster, Kansas’ state seal remains both as exciting and tragic as the scene it represents: white settlers moving westward while bison and Native Americans retreat in the distance.
Few states boast more exciting nicknames. Fierce winds inspired the nickname Cyclone State. Jayhawk State is a reminder of the violence that gripped “Bleeding Kansas” shortly before the Civil War erupted. Kansas is also known as the Wheat State, but it is more commonly celebrated as the Sunflower State.
The only symbol of Kansas that’s still more popular may be The Wizard of Oz. Together, Kansas’ symbols are a reminder that there’s no place like Kansas.
Plants
Although it has no official colors, brown and yellow are sometimes seen as representing Kansas. They appear on several of the state’s animal symbols but are most striking on the sunflower, which ranks among the most popular state flowers.
While the sunflower is Kansas’ alone, it shares its state tree, the cottonwood, with Nebraska and Wyoming. Surprisingly, Kansas is one of the few Great Plains states that don’t have an official grass.
Animals
The meadowlark represents Kansas, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana and Wyoming.
Kansas/Introduction is one of ten states (Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee) that have both an official reptile and amphibian. The Sunflower State chose the ornate box turtle and barred tiger salamander. Like the meadowlark, they share the colors brown and yellow. The box turtle has been compared to the early settlers who carried their homes (covered wagons) with them.
The bison was exterminated in Kansas after the Civil War. Fortunately, a few bison survived in Wyoming and Canada. Today, Kansas’ state animal is once again scattered across the Great Plains on government preserves and private ranches.
The channel catfish represents five states (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Tennessee).
One of Kansas’ least impressive symbols is the introduced honeybee, which represents far too many states. Surely there’s a native butterfly that would better complement the state’s famous sunflower fields.
Earth Symbols
Though both are represented by soils, Kansas and Hawaii are the only states with no official geological symbols. Hawaii has an excuse; there are virtually no fossils to be found among its volcanic rocks and lava fields. But Kansas is world famous for its spectacular fossils of Cretaceous marine animals. They include giant reptiles, such as mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and sea turtles, as well as fishes and flying pterosaurs whose bodies sank to the bottom of an ancient inland sea.
Miscellaneous Symbols
Kansans are smart enough to quit while they’re ahead. They haven’t watered down their wild and woolly collection of symbols with the square dance or an official language (English). In fact, the state’s miscellaneous symbols are pretty much limited to two marches, Here’s Kansas and The Kansas March.
Fortunately, there isn’t a third state march. Like I said, Kansans are smart enough to quit while they’re ahead!
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