Louisiana is largely defined by water, as indicated by the nicknames Bayou State and Child of the Mississippi. It is especially associated with New Orleans, the fabled city that rose where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
Spiced with its famous French heritage, Louisiana’s state symbols are wonderfully unique. More than the symbols of perhaps any other state, they can even be described as fun. What would one expect from a state that calls gumbo its official cuisine and the diatonic accordion its official musical instrument?
Ironically, this laid back state has taken a symbolic turn for the worse. When Hurricane Katrina smashed into New Orleans, it fulfilled the predictions of many scientists. What surprised people around the world was what the monster storm revealed about the United States’ government and society.
It revealed extraordinary corruption and incompetence at every level of government. It also displayed a callous disregard for the poor and a shocking degree of racism.
It will be interesting to see what impact, if any, Hurricane Katrina might have on Louisiana’s symbols. Though the verdict is still out on the environmental damage spawned by the monster hurricane, Louisiana’s crawfish industry was devastated. More important is how Louisiana’s crawfish, pelicans and people weather the storm over the long haul. Will its symbols come to represent a lost playground, or will they loom ever larger as symbols of hope and perseverance?
Plants
Louisiana/Introduction is one of twelve states (Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee) with two or more official flowers. It shares the magnolia with neighboring Mississippi. The Louisiana iris is the official wildflower.
The bald cypress is among the most unique state trees. It is related to California’s redwoods.
Louisiana calls the strawberry its official fruit, while North Carolina designated it the official berry.
Louisiana/Introduction is one of three states (Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee) that have adopted tomatoes as official fruits or vegetables.Louisiana and North Carolina both designated the sweet potato their official vegetable.
Animals
Few state birds are more celebrated than Louisiana’s pelican, which is steeped in both history and religion. Make that pelicans. The state bird is the brown pelican, but white pelicans are depicted on the flag.
Louisiana/Introduction is one of seventeen states with two or more official mammals. Louisiana joined New Mexico and West Virginia in adopting the black bear. However, it adopted a subspecies, known as the Louisiana black bear.
Louisiana also has an official dog, the Catahoula Leopard Dog.
Louisiana/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. It shares the alligator with Florida and Mississippi, the green tree frog with Georgia.
Louisiana/Introduction is one of seven states (Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire and Vermont) with two official fishes. The official freshwater fish is the white perch, better known outside Louisiana as the white crappie. More recently, the spotted weakfish was also adopted. (Distant Delaware also adopted the weakfish.)
The introduced honeybee is one of Louisiana’s more redundant symbols. Far more exciting is the official crustacean, the crawfish (more properly spelled crayfish).
Earth Symbols
Louisiana’s geological symbols aren’t terribly exciting. Its official fossil is petrified palmwood, which also serves as neighboring Texas’ official stone.
Louisiana/Introduction is one of ten states and provinces (Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee and Nova Scotia) that have adopted agates as official symbols. Unlike some states, Louisiana does’t specify a particular variety.
Miscellaneous Symbols
Louisiana has nearly two dozen miscellaneous state symbols, from its official colors (blue, white and gold) to its official jellies (Mayhaw jelly and Louisiana sugar cane jelly). Food is well represented, including an official cuisine (gumbo), meat pie (Natchitoches meat pie) and doughnut (beignet).
Less exciting is the official drink, milk, which complements the official dance, the ubiquitous square dance.
Louisiana is one of sixteen states with an official tartan. There are two official poems, a Senate Poem and a Judicial Poem.
One valuable symbol is Louisiana’s official environmental song, The Gifts of Earth. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Arlo Guthrie’s hit song City of New Orleans received a lot of publicity. But the official state songs remain Give Me Louisiana and You Are My Sunshine.
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