Vermont State Symbols and Official Designations: Flower, Bird, Motto, and More
Vermont has accumulated 29 official state designations over its history, ranging from the familiar — a state bird, a state flower — to the charmingly specific, including an official state flavor of ice cream. These designations are enacted by the Vermont General Assembly and codified in Vermont Statutes Annotated, meaning they carry the same legislative weight as any other state law, even if their practical effect is mostly a matter of pride. This page maps the full landscape of Vermont's official symbols, explains how they come into existence, and draws out the distinctions that matter when symbols overlap, conflict with informal traditions, or vary by jurisdiction.
Definition and Scope
A state symbol, in the formal sense, is a designation enacted by statute or constitutional provision that represents the state in an official capacity. Vermont's symbols are codified primarily under 1 V.S.A. § 497 through § 510, the cluster of provisions within Title 1 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated where the General Assembly has deposited most — though not all — of its symbolic legislation over the decades.
The Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) has served as Vermont's state flower since 1894, making it one of the older designations in the statutory record. The Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) became the state bird in 1941. The state motto — Freedom and Unity — dates to Vermont's first constitution of 1777, predating statehood itself, which arrived in 1791 when Vermont became the 14th state admitted to the Union.
Scope and coverage: The designations covered here are those established under Vermont law and applying within Vermont's 9,616 square miles of state territory. Federal designations — such as national symbols administered by Congress or the Smithsonian Institution — are not covered here, nor are symbols or emblems adopted solely by Vermont municipalities or regional bodies. The scope does not extend to New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, or Quebec, all of which share borders with Vermont but maintain entirely separate symbolic frameworks under their own jurisdictions.
How It Works
State symbols are created through standard legislation. A bill is introduced in either chamber of the Vermont General Assembly, passes committee review, clears both the House and Senate by majority vote, and is signed by the Governor. There is no constitutional requirement for public referendum on symbolic designations, which is why the process can move quickly when there is consensus — and why Vermont's list has grown steadily.
The designations break into several functional categories:
- Natural symbols — the state animal (Morgan Horse, designated 1961), state insect (Honeybee, 1978), state bird (Hermit Thrush), state fish (Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, 1978), and state butterfly (Monarch, 1987).
- Botanical symbols — the state flower (Red Clover), state tree (Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum, 1949), state fruit (Apple, 1999), and state vegetable (Gilfeather Turnip, 2016).
- Geological and mineral symbols — the state rock (Granite, 1999), state mineral (Talc, 1991), and state gem (Grossular Garnet, 1991).
- Cultural and heritage symbols — the state flavor of ice cream (Maple, 1993), state soil (Tunbridge Soil Series, 1985), state pie (Apple Pie, 1999), and the state sport (Skiing, 1994).
- Motto and heraldic symbols — the motto (Freedom and Unity), the state seal (adopted 1779, revised), and the state flag (green field with state coat of arms).
The Vermont Secretary of State's office maintains the official record of enacted statutes and is the authoritative source for confirming whether a proposed or rumored symbol has actually been codified into law.
Common Scenarios
The most common point of confusion involves informal symbols versus statutory ones. Vermont's association with maple syrup, for instance, is so pervasive in popular culture that many assume it holds some single overarching official status. In practice, the maple connection is distributed across multiple designations: the Sugar Maple is the state tree, Maple is the state flavor (of ice cream specifically, under 1 V.S.A. § 510), and the state pie is Apple Pie — not Maple anything — a detail that occasionally surprises people.
A second common scenario involves the Gilfeather Turnip, which was designated the state vegetable in 2016 after a sustained campaign originating in Wardsboro, Vermont. It is a heirloom rutabaga-turnip cross developed by John Gilfeather in the late 19th century, and its elevation to official vegetable of the state is the kind of hyper-local specificity that Vermont does with complete seriousness.
Schools and civic organizations frequently reference state symbols in educational contexts. The Vermont Agency of Education incorporates civics content including state symbols into the frameworks used by Vermont's 60 supervisory unions and their member districts.
Decision Boundaries
The distinction between a state symbol, a state designation, and a state slogan matters in specific practical contexts — particularly trademark, tourism marketing, and government communications.
Official statutory symbol vs. unofficial state association: The Morgan Horse is the official state animal; the Holstein cow is not, despite Vermont's deep dairy industry identity. The Hermit Thrush is the state bird; the Wild Turkey, which outnumbers the Hermit Thrush in sheer visibility across Vermont's landscape, holds no official designation.
Vermont vs. federal jurisdiction: State symbols carry no weight in federal law. A Vermont state designation does not affect federal trademark registrations, federal procurement rules, or federal agency branding. Those matters fall under federal statutes and agency regulations that Vermont's symbolic legislation does not touch.
Comparison — statutory symbols vs. constitutional provisions: The state motto and the state seal derive from constitutional history, while most other symbols are pure statutory creations. This means the motto and seal are more deeply embedded in the state's founding documents, while symbols like the Gilfeather Turnip can, in theory, be amended or repealed by ordinary legislative majority without any constitutional process.
For a comprehensive orientation to Vermont's governmental structure — the institutions that enact and maintain these designations — Vermont Government Authority provides detailed coverage of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, including how the General Assembly's legislative process operates from bill introduction through codification.
The full collection of Vermont's official designations reflects something true about how the state self-represents: specific, locally rooted, and occasionally surprising. The Vermont State Authority home page provides broader context for navigating Vermont's official landscape beyond its symbolic catalogue.