State Bird
The mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is the state bird of Texas, adopted by the 40th Legislature of 1927 at the request of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs.
State Flower
The state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet, also sometimes called buffalo clover, wolf flower and el conejo (the rabbit). The bluebonnet was adopted as the state flower, at the request of the Society of Colonial Dames in Texas, by the 27th Legislature in 1901. The original resolution designated Lupinus subcarnosus as the state flower, but a resolution by the 62nd Legislature in 1971 provided legal status as the state flower of Texas for “ Lupinus Texensis and any other variety of bluebonnet.”
State Tree
The pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis) is the state tree of Texas. The sentiment that led to its official adoption probably grew out of the request of Gov. James Stephen Hogg that a pecan tree be planted at his grave. The 36th Legislature in 1919 adopted the pecan tree.
State Air Force
The Commemorative Air Force, based in Midland at Midland International Airport, was proclaimed the state air force of Texas by the 71st Legislature in 1989.
State Amphibian
The Texas toad was named the state amphibian of Texas by the 81st Legislature in 2009.
State Bread
Pan de campo, translated “camp bread” and often called cowboy bread, was named the state bread by the 79th Legislature in 2005. It is a simple baking-powder bread that was a staple of early Texans and often baked in a Dutch oven.
State Cooking Implement
The cast iron Dutch oven was named the cooking implement of Texas by the 79th Legislature in 2005.
State Dinosaur
The Paluxysaurus jonesi, was designated the state dinosaur by the 81th Legislature in 2009.
State Dish
Chili was proclaimed the Texas state dish by the 65th Legislature in 1977.
State Dog Breed
The Blue Lacy was designated the state dog breed by the 79th Legislature in 2005. The Blue Lacy is a herding and hunting breed descended from greyhound, scent-hound, and coyote stock and developed by the Lacy brothers, who left Kentucky and settled near Marble Falls in 1858.
State Epic Poem
“The Legend of Old Stone Ranch,” written by John Worth Cloud, was named the epic poem of Texas by the 61st Legislature in 1969. The work is a 400-page history of the Albany–Fort Griffin area written in verse form.
State Fiber and Fabric
Cotton was designated the state fiber and fabric by the 75th Legislature in 1997.
State Fish
The Guadalupe bass, a member of the genus Micropterus within the sunfish family, was named the state fish of Texas by the 71st Legislature in 1989. It is one of a group of fish collectively known as black bass.
State Flower Song
“Bluebonnets,” written by Julia D. Booth and Lora C. Crockett, was named the state flower song by the 43rd Legislature in 1933.
State Folk Dance
The square dance was designated the state folk dance by the 72nd Legislature in 1991.
State Fruit
The Texas red grapefruit was designated the state fruit by the 73rd Legislature in 1993.
State Gem
Texas blue topaz, the state gem of Texas, is found in the Llano uplift area in Central Texas, especially west to northwest of Mason. It was designated by the 61st Legislature in 1969.
State Gemstone Cut
The Lone Star Cut was named the state gemstone cut by the 65th Legislature in 1977.
State Grass
Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), a native grass found on many different soils, was designated the state grass of Texas by the 62nd Legislature in 1971.
State Health Nut
The pecan was designated the state nut by the 77th Legislature in 2001.
State Horse
The American Quarter Horse was named the state horse by the 81st Legislature in 2009.
State Insect
The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) was designated the state insect by the 74th Legislature in 1995.
State Mammals
The armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) was designated the state small mammal; the longhorn was designated the state large mammal; and the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) was designated the state flying mammal by the 74th Legislature in 1995.
State Music
Western swing was named the state’s official music by the 82nd Legislature in 2011.
State Musical Instrument
The guitar was named the state musical instrument by the 75th Legislature in 1997.
State Native Pepper
The chiltepin was named the native pepper of Texas by the 75th Legislature in 1997.
State Native Shrub
The Texas purple sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) was designated the state native shrub by the 79th Legislature in 2005.
State Pepper
The jalapeño pepper was designated the state pepper by the 74th Legislature in 1995.
State Plant
The prickly pear cactus was named the state plant by the 74th Legislature in 1995.
State Plays
The four official state plays of Texas are The Lone Star, Texas, Beyond the Sundown, and Fandangle. They were designated by the 66th Legislature in 1979.
State Railroad
The Texas State Railroad was designated the state railroad by the 78th Legislature in 2003. It is a steam powered tourist excursion train that runs between the towns of Rusk and Palestine.
State Reptile
The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) was named the state reptile by the 73rd Legislature in 1993.
State Seashell
The lightning whelk (Busycon perversum pulleyi) was named the official state seashell by the 70th Legislature in 1987. One of the few shells that open on the left side, the lightning whelk is named for its colored stripes. It is found on the Gulf Coast.
State Ship
The battleship USS Texas was designated the state ship by the 74th Legislature in 1995. The USS Texas was launched on May 18, 1912, from Newport News, Va., and commissioned on March 12, 1914. In 1919, it became the first U.S. battleship to launch an aircraft, and in 1939 it received the first commercial radar in the U.S. Navy. It participated in both World Wars I and II. In 1940, the Texas was designated flagship of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. It was decommissioned on April 21, 1948, and is a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark. It is at the San Jacinto Battleground near Houston.
State Shrub
The crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) was designated the official state shrub by the 75th Legislature in 1997.
State Snack
Tortilla chips and salsa was designated the official state snack by the 78th Legislature in 2003 at the request of second-grade students in Mission.
State Sport
Rodeo was named the state sport of Texas by the 75th Legislature in 1997.
State Stone
Petrified palmwood, found in Texas principally in eastern counties near the Texas Gulf Coast, was designated the state stone by the 61st Legislature in 1969.
State Tall Ship
The Elissa was named the state tall ship by the 79th Legislature in 2005. The 1877 ship makes its home at the Texas Seaport Museum at the port of Galveston.
State Tartan
The Texas Bluebonnet Tartan was named the official state tartan by the 71st Texas Legislature in 1989.
State Vegetable
The Texas sweet onion was designated the state vegetable by the 75th Legislature in 1997.
State Vehicle
The chuck wagon was named the state vehicle by the 79th Legislature in 2005. Texas rancher Charles Goodnight is credited with inventing the chuck wagon to carry cowboys’ food and supplies on trail drives.
State 10K
The Texas Roundup 10K, held each April in Austin, was named the state ten kilometer run by the 79th Legislature in 2005 to encourage Texans to exercise and incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
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