Do you know Oregon's official state symbols?
Do you know Oregon's official state symbols?
Each state in America boasts its own culture, history, and natural beauty. To represent such diversity, people from these states have chosen their own set of symbols and customs. Specific flags, songs, mottos, flowers, and even fruits commemorate the uniqueness of individual states. Some of these symbols border on the bizarre: Texas, for example, has made the Dutch oven its official state cooking pot. Other symbols are more universal, like state birds.
Many people remember learning about their states' history back in elementary school. But can you still remember your state bird? How about your state flower? To test your state knowledge, Stacker compiled a list of symbols in Oregon.
Clue: Oregon state fish
Clue: Also known as tyee, king, and spring, along with its common surname, this fish is the largest Pacific-dwelling kind among its species—although its life begins and ends in freshwater. Its vast range spans from Southern California to the Canadian Arctic.
Answer: Oregon state fish
Answer: Chinook salmon
Clue: Oregon state mammal
Oregon’s state mammal is renowned for its ability to transform the landscape using its ever-growing rodent teeth to cut down trees that they use to build dams. These create ponds where the animals build their underwater lodges. They were once important to the economy of the state when they were hunted for their fur.
Answer: Oregon state mammal
- State mammal: Beaver
Clue: Oregon state song
John A. Buchanan wrote the words to the Oregon state song and Henry B. Murtagh wrote the music. It was officially adopted into law in 1927.
Answer: Oregon state song
- Answer: "Oregon, My Oregon"
Clue: Oregon state insect
This species can be spotted between April and September. It has a yellow abdomen and orange-spotted wings, though earlier in the year the insect is lighter-colored than those that appear later in the year.
Answer: Oregon state insect
- State insect: Oregon swallowtail butterfly (Papilio oregonius)
Clue: Oregon state tree
You’ll find Oregon’s state tree across this Northwest state, but you’ll also find it in homes across the country come December as a Christmas tree. The tree’s common name commemorates a Scottish botanist who studied Oregon’s plants in the 1800s.
Answer: Oregon state tree
Answer: Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Clue: Oregon state bird
This state, like many others, chose a humble bird for its official mascot. Oregon can lay claim as being one of the first states to officially do so, however: School children honored the species in 1927.
Answer: Oregon state bird
Answer: Western meadowlark
Clue: Oregon state flower
Also called the holly-leaved barberry, Oregon's official state flower is a shrub native to the Pacific coast. In the early summer, this flower bears dainty yellow flowers and ripens into a dark blueberry late in the fall. Tea made by steeping the plant's roots is believed to relieve a number of ailments.
