Louisiana State Symbols Even Life-Long Louisianians Might Not Know

Almost every city in Louisiana is the "Official Capitol" of something, but who knew we had so many different Louisiana state symbols?

Official Symbols Of Louisiana

We all know the Louisiana state bird is the mosquito. Oh, sorry...it's the brown pelican. Obviously, Louisiana's state song is "You Are My Sunshine". But, do you know what the official state poem, state mineral, or state gemstone is?

It's OK, we didn't either...until now.

Oh, and apparently Louisiana has more than one State Song. Considering how musical we are in Louisiana that's fairly appropriate.

Louisiana has an official state amphibian, fossil, and even an official state Tartan whatever that is.

Below are a few official Louisiana state things that might have been voted into place when we weren't looking, but they're kinda great.

Louisiana State Amphibian - Green Tree Frog

Louisiana State Fossil - Petrified Palmwood

Wikipedia.com - "In Grant Parish, Louisiana (and probably in other areas also), Native Americans used petrified palmwood to make projectile points and other tools such as knives, awls, and scrapers."

Louisiana State Fish - White Perch

Louisiana State Gemstone - Cabochon Cut Gemstone from Eastern Oyster Shell

Louisiana State Slogan - "Feed Your Soul"

Louisiana doesn't just have one state song, we have two, and actually more than that.

We have an official state environmental song, and a state march song, all being independent of the others.

Here's how all of Louisiana's official state songs shake out -

Louisiana State Song(s) - "You Are My Sunshine" and "Give Me Louisiana"

Louisiana State Environmental Song - "The Gifts of Earth"

Louisiana State March Song - "Louisiana My Home Sweet Home"

Louisiana State Vegetable Plant - Creole Tomato

Louisiana Musical Instrument - Cajun Accordion

Louisiana State Tartan - What is a Tartan?

A Tartan is "a patterned cloth consisting of crisscrossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland, as Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns" according to Wikipedia.com.

The official Louisiana state tartan was designed by Joe McD.Campbell in 2001.

The Louisiana state tartan utilizes the colors blue, green, white, and black.

Each color represents something different about Louisiana.

From tartanregister.gov.uk -

"Blue for the sky, lakes, bayous, rivers, and waterways.

Green for agriculture and forests.

White for rice, sugar cane, cotton, and magnolias.

Black for petroleum and natural resources."

Louisiana State Mineral - Agate

Agate "is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components,^[2] with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks" - Wikipedia.com.

Louisiana State Folkdance - Square Dance

How is it not the two-step or waltz?

 Louisiana State Boat - Pirogue

Louisiana State Judicial Poem - "America, We The People"

Written by Sylvia Davidson Lott Buckley.

Louisiana State Senate Poem - "Leadership"

Written by Jean McGivney Boese.

Read both of the Louisiana state poems on Wikipedia HERE.