List of Arkansas state symbols

Location of the state of Arkansas in the United States

The state of Arkansas has numerous symbols.

Though two other songs are designated as "state songs" (plus a "state historical song" which was the state song from 1949 to 1963), by state law, the secretary of state must respond to any requests for "the state song" with the music of the state anthem, "Arkansas", which was the state song before 1949 and from 1963 to 1987, when it became state anthem and the other songs gained their present status. This is strictly to preserve the status of "Arkansas"; all four songs are either copyrighted by the state itself or in the public domain. The oldest symbol is the Apple blossom, designated in 1901. The most recently designated symbol is the Cotton Belt 898, designated in 2021.

Insignia

Further information: List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia

Type	Symbol	Year	Image	Source
Flag	The Flag of Arkansas
Seal	The Great Seal of the State of Arkansas
Anthem	"Arkansas" by Eva Ware Barnett	1987	—	[1]
Historical song	"The Arkansas Traveler" by Sandford C. Faulkner	1987		[1]
Motto	Regnat Populus "The People Rule"	1907	—	[2]
Nickname	"The Natural State"	1953 [3]
Language	English	1987 [4]
Song	"Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)" by Wayland Holyfield	1987	—	[1]
Song	"Oh, Arkansas" by Terry Rose and Gary Klass	1987	—	[1]

Animals

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Bird	Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos	1929 [5]
Butterfly	Diana fritillary butterfly Speyeria diana	2007 [6]
Dinosaur	Arkansaurus Fridayi	2019 [7]
Insect	Honey bee Apis mellifera	1973 [8]
Mammal	White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus	1993 [9]
Primitive fish	Alligator gar Atractosteus spatula	2019 [10]

Plants

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Floral emblem	Apple blossom Pyrus malus	1901 [11]
Fruit and vegetable	South Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato Solanum lycopersicum	1987 [12]
Grain	Rice Oryza sp.	2007 [13]
Grape	Cynthiana grape Vitis aestivalis	2009 [14]
Nut	Pecan Carya illinoinensis	2009 [15]
Soil	Stuttgart soil series	1997 [16]
Tree	Pine tree either Pinus taeda or Pinus echinata	1939 [17]

Geology

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Gem	Diamond	1967 [18]
Mineral	Quartz	1967 [19]
Rock	Bauxite	1967 [20]

Culture

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
American folk dance	Square dance	1991 [21]
Beverage	Milk	1985 [22]
Firearm	Shotgun	2019 [23]
Historic cooking vessel	Dutch oven	2001 [24]
Knife	Bowie knife	2019 [25]
Musical instrument	Fiddle	1985 [26]
Northwest Purple Martin Capital	Fort Smith, Arkansas	1993 [27]
Poultry Capital of the World	Springdale, Arkansas	2013 [28]
Southeast Purple Martin Capital	Lake Village, Arkansas	1993 [27]
Steam Locomotive	Cotton Belt 819	2021 [29]
Trout Capital	Cotter, Arkansas	1993 [30]

Other

• 
  State quarter for Arkansas
• 
  USS Arkansas (CGN-41)

See also

• List of Arkansas-related topics
• Lists of United States state insignia
• State of Arkansas

References

1. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state songs", Encyclopedia of Arkansas , Central Arkansas Library System , retrieved 2019-05-27
2. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state motto", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
3. "Arkansas Code | State nickname". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
4. "Arkansas Code | Official Language". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
5. Spurgeon, John (March 8, 2018), "Official state bird", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
6. Spencer, Lori A. (March 8, 2018), "Official state butterfly", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
7. "Arkansas Code | State dinosaur". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
8. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state insect", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
9. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state mammal", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
10. "Gov. Hutchinson signs bill making alligator gar state's official primitive fish", thv11.com, March 25, 2019, retrieved 2019-05-27
11. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state flower", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
12. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state fruit and vegetable", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
13. Teske, Steven (March 8, 2018), "Official state grain", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
14. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state grape", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
15. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state nut", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
16. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state soil", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
17. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state tree", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
18. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state gem", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
19. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state mineral", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
20. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state rock", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
21. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state dance", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
22. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state beverage", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
23. "Arkansas Code | State firearm". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
24. Ragsdale, John G. (March 8, 2018), "Official state cooking vessel", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
25. "Arkansas Code | State Knife". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
26. Ware, David (March 8, 2018), "Official state musical instrument", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, retrieved 2019-05-27
27. "Arkansas Code | Purple Martin Capitals". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
28. "Arkansas Code | Poultry Capital of the World". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
29. "Arkansas Code | State Steam Locomotive". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
30. "Arkansas Code | Trout Capital of the U.S.A". Justia. Retrieved 2025-10-17.

External links

• State Symbols of Arkansas