List of New Mexico state symbols

Location of the state of New Mexico in the United States

This is a list of the officially designated state symbols of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Most such designations are found in Chapter 12, Article 3 of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated. ^[1] The majority of the items in the list are officially recognized after a law is passed by the state legislature. New Mexico is the first state to adopt a state question: "Red or green?," referring to chile peppers. The state also has a prescribed answer: "Red and green" or "Christmas," encouraging the use of both colors of chile.

Insignia

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

Type	Symbol	Description	Adopted	Image	Ref.
Motto	Crescit eundo	"It grows as it goes."	1887	—	[2]
Seal	Great Seal of the State of New Mexico	The coat of arms of the state shall be the Mexican eagle grasping a serpent in its beak, the cactus in its talons, shielded by the American eagle with outspread wings, and grasping arrows in its talons; the date 1912 under the eagles and, on a scroll, the motto: "Crescit Eundo". The great seal of the state shall be a disc bearing the coat of arms and having around the edge the words "Great Seal of the State of New Mexico." — Section 12-3-1 NMSA 1978	1913		[2]
Flag	Flag of New Mexico	That a flag be and the same is hereby adopted to be used on all occasions when the state is officially and publicly represented, with the privilege of use by all citizens upon such occasions as they may deem fitting and appropriate. Said flag shall be the ancient Zia sun symbol of red in the center of a field of yellow. The colors shall be the red and yellow of old Spain. The proportion of the flag shall be a width of two-thirds its length. The sun symbol shall be one-third of the length of the flag. Said symbol shall have four groups of rays set at right angles; each group shall consist of four rays, the two inner rays of the group shall be one-fifth longer than the outer rays of the group. The diameter of the circle in the center of the symbol shall be one-third of the width of the symbol. Said flag shall conform in color and design described herein. — Section 12-3-2 NMSA 1978	1925		[3]

Music

Further information: List of U.S. state songs

• State Song: O Fair New Mexico , Elizabeth Garrett (1917) ^[4]
• Spanish Language State Song: Así Es Nuevo México , Amadeo Lucero (1971) ^[5]
• Ballad: Land Of Enchantment , Michael Martin Murphey (1989) ^[6]
• Bilingual Song: New Mexico - Mi Lindo Nuevo México , Pablo Mares (1995) ^[7]
• Cowboy Song: Under the New Mexico Skies, Syd Masters (2009) ^[8]

Flora

Type	Symbol	Description	Adopted	Image	Ref.
Flower	Yucca flower	The state statutes list "the yucca flower" without giving a species name. The soaptree yucca ( Yucca elata ) is one of the more widespread species in New Mexico.	1927		[9] [10]
Tree	Piñon pine	Listed in the state statutes as "the nut pine or pinon tree". The scientific name Pinus edulis is then given.	1949		[9]
Grass	Blue grama	Listed in the state statutes as "blue grama grass". The scientific name Bouteloua gracillis is then given.	1973		[9]

Foods

Further information: List of U.S. state foods

• Vegetables: Chile (Capsicum annum L.) ^{[N 1]} (1965) and frijoles (pinto beans of the Phaseolus vulgaris family) (1965) ^[11]
• Cookie: Biscochito (1989) ^[12]

Fauna

• Amphibian : New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata) (2003)
• Animal : New Mexico black bear (1963)
• Bird : Chaparral bird (greater roadrunner) (1949)
• Butterfly : Sandia hairstreak (2003)
• Fish : Rio Grande cutthroat trout (1955)
• Insect : Tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis grossa) (1989)
• Reptile : New Mexico whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus neomexicanus) (2003) ^[13]

Geology

• Fossil : Coelophysis (1981)
• Gem : Turquoise (1967)

Other

Type	Symbol	Year
Historic Railroad	Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad [14]	2005
Necklace	The Squash Blossom Necklace [15]	2011
Guitar	New Mexico Sunrise, a custom guitar designed and handcrafted by Pimentel and Sons [16]	2009
Ballad	Land of Enchantment, Spanish : Tierra del Encanto, or Tierra Encantada	1989
Poem	Spanish: A Nuevo México , To New Mexico	1991
Tie	Bolo tie	2007
Ship	USS New Mexico (BB-40)	1918–1946
	USS New Mexico (SSN-779)	2008
Aircraft	Hot air balloon, symbol of Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta	2005 [17]
Aroma	The aroma of green chile roasting [18]	2023 [19]
Clean-up Mascot	Dusty Roadrunner [20]	1969 [21]

Notes

1. The chile's declared binomial name Capsicum annum L. has over 200 variations within the species. Community sentiment has it that the New Mexico chile (Capsicum annuum 'New Mexico Group') is the official chile, including having this chile appear on one of New Mexico's alternative license plates beginning in 2017.

Further reading

• "State Symbols". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
• "state symbols of New Mexico in New Mexico". iNaturalist . Retrieved 2023-11-04.
• Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. "State Symbols" (PDF). New Mexico Centennial Blue Book 2012 (PDF). Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. pp. 138–168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2012-12-27. (PDF)

References

1. Ch. 12, art. 3 NMSA 1978, <https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/item/4374/index.do#a3>, retrieved on 08/25/2025.
2. Section 12-3-1 NMSA 1978, <https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/item/4374/index.do#12-3-1>, retrieved on 08/26/2025.
3. Section 12-3-2 NMSA 1978, <https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/item/4374/index.do#12-3-2>, retrieved on 08/26/2025.
4. "Official State Song – "O Fair New Mexico"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
5. "Spanish Language State Song – "Asi Es Nuevo Mexico"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
6. "State Ballad – "Land Of Enchantment"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
7. "State Bilingual Song – "Mi Lindo Nuevo Mexico"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
8. "Official Cowboy Song – "Under the New Mexico Skies"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
9. Section 12-3-4 NMSA 1978, <https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/item/4374/index.do#12-3-4>, retrieved on 08/25/2025.
10. "State Flower". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
11. "State Vegetables". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
12. "State Cookie". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
13. "State Symbols: State reptile". Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
14. Cumbres & Toltec as Official Scenic Railroad (House Bill 447). The Legislature of the State of New Mexico. April 6, 2005.
15. "State Necklace". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
16. "State Guitar". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
17. Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. "State Symbols" (PDF). New Mexico Centennial Blue Book 2012 (PDF). Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. pp. 138–168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2012-12-27. (PDF)
18. Official State Aroma (Senate Bill 188). The Legislature of the State of New Mexico. March 28, 2023.
19. McKay, Dan. "Sweet smell of success". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
20. "Dusty Roadrunner". Keep New Mexico Beautiful, Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
21. "State Bird". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 16 January 2024.