The state of Alabama has a total of 41 official state emblems. The oldest symbol is the Alabama State Bible, from 1853. [1] The most recently designated symbol is the Little Bluestem, Alabama's state native grass, established in 2024.
Alabama does not have an official nickname, although "Heart of Dixie" was strongly promoted by the Alabama Chamber of Commerce in the 1940s and 1950s, and put on state license plates. [2] [3]
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bible | The Alabama State Bible | 1853 [1] | |
| Great Seal | The Seal of Alabama | 1876 [4] |  |
| Flag | The flag of Alabama | 1895 [5] |  |
| Coat of arms | The coat of arms of Alabama | 1939 [6] |  |
| Military Crest | The State Military Crest of Alabama |  | |
| Motto | Audemus jura nostra defendere We dare defend our rights | 1939 [7] |  |
| Creed | Alabama state creed | 1939 [8] | |
| Mascot | Eastern tiger swallowtail | 1989 [9] |  |
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flower | Camellia [10] Camellia japonica L. | 1959 [11] |  |
| Fruit | Blackberry Rubus occidentalis | 2004 [12] |  |
| Legume | Peanut Arachis hypogaea | 2022 [13] |  |
| Native Grass | Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | 2024 [14] |  |
| Nut | Pecan Carya illinoinensis | 1982 [15] |  |
| Tree | Southern longleaf pine Pinus palustris | 1997 [16] |  |
| Tree fruit | Peach Prunus persica | 2006 [17] |  |
| Vegetable | Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas | 2021 [18] [19] |  |
| Wildflower | Oak-leaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia Bartr. | 1999 [20] |  |
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Insect | Queen Honey Bee Apis mellifera | 2015 [21] |  |
| Amphibian | Red Hills salamander Phaeognathus hubrichti | 2000 [22] |  |
| Bird | Yellowhammer (yellow-shafted flicker) Colaptes auratus | 1933 [23] |  |
| Butterfly | Eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio glaucus | 1989 [9] |  |
| Crustacean | Brown Shrimp Penaeus aztecus | 2015 [24] |  |
| Freshwater fish | Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides | 1975 [25] |  |
| Game bird | Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo | 1980 [26] |  |
| Horse | Racking Horse Equus caballus | 1975 [27] | |
| Insect | Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus | 1989 [28] |  |
| Mammal | American black bear Ursus americanus | 2006 [29] |  |
| Marine Mammal | West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus | 2009 [30] |  |
| Reptile | Alabama red-bellied turtle Pseudemys alabamensis | 1990 [31] |  |
| Saltwater fish | Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus | 1955 [32] |  |
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fossil | Basilosaurus Basilosaurus cetoides | 1984 [33] |  |
| Gemstone | Star blue quartz | 1990 [34] |  |
| Mineral | Hematite | 1967 [35] |  |
| Rock | Marble | 1969 [36] |  |
| Shell | Johnstone's junonia Scaphella junonia johnstoneae | 1990 [37] |  |
| Soil | Bama | 1997 [38] |  |
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Museum | Dothan Landmark Park | 1992 [39] | |
| American Folk Dance | Square dance | 1981 [40] |  |
| Aquarium | Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Alabama Aquarium | 2021 [41] | |
| Barbecue Competition | Alabama Barbecue Championship | 1991 [42] |  |
| Cake | Lane cake | 2016 [43] |  |
| Cookie | Yellowhammer cookie | 2023 [44] | |
| Historic Theatre | Alabama Theatre | 1993 [45] |  |
| Horse Show | AOHA Alabama State Championship Horse Show | 1988 [46] |  |
| Horseshoe Tournament | Stockton Fall Horseshoe Tournament | 1992 [47] |  |
| Outdoor Drama | The Miracle Worker | 1991 [48] |  |
| Outdoor Musical Drama | The Incident at Looney's Tavern | 1993 [49] | |
| Song | "Alabama" | 1931 [50] | |
| Renaissance Faire | Alabama Renaissance Faire | 1988 [51] |  |
| Quilt | Pine Burr Quilt | 1997 [52] | |
| Spirit | Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey | 2004 [53] |  |
