State Symbols

State Game Bird:  Bobwhite Quail

State Wild Animal:  Raccoon

State Fish:  Largemouth Bass

State Insects: Firefly and Ladybug

State Butterfly:  The Zebra Swallowtail

State Flower:  Iris

State Wildflower:  The Passion Flower

State Tree:  Tulip-Poplar

State Amphibian:  The Tennessee Cave Salamander

State Reptile:  The Eastern Box Turtle

State Rocks:  Agate and Limestone

State Slogan:  "Tennessee-America at It's Best."

State Songs:  "My Homeland, Tennessee" written by Nell Grayson Taylor, music by Roy Lamont Smith and "When it's Iris time in Tennessee" by Willa Waid Newman.

Motto:  Agriculture and Commerce

Origin of State Name:  The name may come from Tanasi, the Cherokee name for a village on the Little Tennessee River.

Nickname for State:  The Volunteer State.  This unofficial nickname recognizes the valor of volunteer soldiers from the state during wars in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Nickname for residents:  Tennesseans