15 New Jersey Symbols to Know

The horse became the state of animal of NJ in 1977 followed by the efforts put in by Michael McCarthy and his 5th-grade class at Our Lady of Victories School and James Sweetman, an 8th grader from Freehold

The state of NJ designated the common meadow violet in 1913 as the official state flower of the Garden state. These flowers are a common sight across the state in spring.

The shield denoted that NJ governs itself, the 3 plows show its agricultural tradition, the horse symbolizes its independence. The buff color is due indirectly to George Washington.

Jersey Wagon Jaunts written by Alfred Heston in 1926 described that Abraham Browning of Camden referred to NJ as the Garden State while speaking at the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition on New Jersey Day.

Made with Anise seeds and brandy, the oatmeal cranberry cookie is considered the state cookie of New Jersey despite the chocolate chip cookie being a famous snack.

The Northern Red Oak was selected on June 13 1950 by Governor Alfred E. Driscoll as the official state tree of NJ. It represents strength, dignity, structural beauty, and long life.

The states of New Jersey and Iowa named the Eastern Goldfinch as their official state bird in 1930 and 1933 respectively.

Governor Phil Murphy authorized the seeing dog as the official state dog of New Jersey on a Tuesday in 2020.

Goddess Liberty on the left is holding a staff with a liberty cap on it, and the word liberty underneath her. Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, to the right is holding a cornucopia with prosperity written below her.

Gov. Brendan T. Byrne signed a bill on June 20, 1974, to assign the honeybee as the official state bug of New Jersey because honeybees were the main pollinators of the garden state.

Jersey tomatoes are known to be the sweetest. Though tomatoes are biologically fruits, they are vegetables from the view of chefs, and NJ being an agricultural state sided with chefs on the controversy.

The Hadrosaurus foulkii dinosaur fossil was excavated at a historic archaeological site in Haddonfield, Camden County, New Jersey by Willaim Parker Foulke in 1858. Thus, it became the official dinosaur of Jersey.

The Bog turtle was made the official reptile of New Jersey by Governor Phil Murphy on 18th June at a ceremony held in Princeton's Riverside Elementary School.

The song was written by Mark Winter & Ellen Winter was nominated as the official song of New Jersey by the NJ State Council of Arts in 1996.

The French gifted the statue of liberty to the U.S. after their alliance. The Goddess Liberty was sculpted with the face of Bartholdi’s mother and the body after his wife.