What is the official state animal of Texas? We’ve got 8 of them!

The Lone Star state has no shortage of state animals. Instead of choosing just one state animal, Texas chose 8 different animals, the Northern Mockingbird, the Nine-banded Armadillo, the Texas Longhorn, the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat, the Blue Lacy, the Texas Horned Lizard, the Monarch Butterfly, and Guadalupe Bass to represent the diversity of Texas’s culture … Read more

Texas State Flower: The Bluebonnet & The Amazing Story Behind It

Scientifically named Lupinus texensis, the bluebonnet is the official flower of Texas and was adopted by the Texas state legislature in 1901. Also known as the buffalo clover, wolf flower, and “el conejo” (“rabbit” in Spanish), the vibrant sapphire blue petals are said to resemble the bonnets worn by pioneer women to shield them from the … Read more

The Texas State Gemstone: Blue Topaz

Topaz is the Texas state gemstone as well as the birthstone for the month of November. It occurs naturally in many colors including blue, orange, brown, green, pink, beige and red. Colorless topaz, a common variation, can be treated by irradiation to produce a wide range of shades of blue. Thus treated, blue topaz is … Read more

The Texas State Seal

Today, the seal of the state of Texas has developed into a uniform design with both a front (obverse) and a reverse side. By law, the seal is required to authenticate official documents of the state. The origins of the seal go back to the early days of the republic. The Obverse (Front) The Convention … Read more

The Texas State Insect: Monarch Butterfly

The Monarch Butterfly became the Texas state insect by a 1995 resolution of the state legislature. The resolution was introduced by Representative Arlene Wohlgemuth on behalf of students in her district. The Monarch is unique among butterflies in that it is the only species of butterfly that does not hibernate, but migrates in changing seasons. … Read more

The Texas State Tree: Pecan

The pecan tree was signed into law as the state tree of Texas in 1919. Legend has it that Texas Governor, James Hogg, was particularly fond of the pecan tree and requested a pecan tree be planted on his grvesite. This inspired the Texas state legislature to adapt the pecan as the official Texas state … Read more