TN box turtle

TN box turtle

Passion Flower
Passion Flower
The honeybee
The honeybee

Firefly
Firefly
The bobwhite quail
The bobwhite quail

The Agate
The Agate
largemouth bass
largemouth bass

The Raccoon
The Raccoon
Tennessee River Pearl
Tennessee River Pearl

Tennessee Walking
Horse Tennessee Walking
Horse
The mockingbird
The mockingbird

The ladybug
The ladybug
 The iris
The iris

The Zebra Swallowtail

The Zebra Swallowtail
 The tomato
The tomato

The tulip poplar

The tulip poplar
© Jan Duke © Jan Duke

Tennessee State Flag

Tennessee State Flag

Tennessee State Capitol

Tennessee State Capitol
Street sign
Street sign

Metal Mule
Metal Mule
 The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene
carolina) was designated as the official
state reptile in 1995. This reptile has a
lifespan between 30 to 60 years and
grows to be about 6 inches in length. The
box turtle will never venture far from its
birth home so if you find one on the road
just move it out of harms way don't take
it home or anywhere else and release it as
it can be very harmful and even deadly to
the reptile
Courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Passions Flower (Passiflora) really

should have been named as Tennessee's
state flower as a bill in 1919 had the
Tennessee school children choose a state
flower and they chose the Passion Flower.
The passion flower, locally known as the
Maypop, received its name from the early
Christian missionaries who saw the flower
as images of the Crucifixion; the three
crosses, the crown of thorns, nails, and
Photo Credit Robert Cable/Getty Images cords. The passion flower also bears a
fruit that is used locally to make jelly. In
1973, it was officially named as the

The honeybee (Apis mellifera) was

designated as the official state
agricultural insect in 1990. The honey bee
is a social, honey producing insect and
plays an important part in the local
Tennessee economy as it not only
produces honey and beeswax but also
pollinates crops, trees, and grasses. Folks
also have been known to use the local
honey for many medicinal purposes
including taking it daily to help ward off
Photo Credit John Foxx/Getty Images
seasonal allergies.
 As one of the two Tennessee state
insets, the Firefly (Photinus pyralls)
was also designated as the state
insect in 1975 alongside the
ladybug. The firefly, which is not
really a fly but a beetle, has over
1500 species and can be seen
lighting up on warm nights
Photo Credit Kim Steele/Getty Images
throughout Tennessee.

The bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)

was designated as the official state game
bird in 1987. The bobwhite quail, also
known a partridge, has a normal lifespan
in the wild of only two years and usually
grows to about 8-10 inches long. Quail are
still a popular food and game bird in
Tennessee and the state has a designated
quail hunting season.
Photo Credit Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images

The Agate was designated as the states

first official rock in 1969. The Agate is a
semiprecious gemstone (quartz) and found
in only a few parts of the state.

Copyright Andrew Alden

 The largemouth bass (Micropterus
salmoides) was designated as
Tennessee's official sport fish in
1988. The largemouth bass is one of
Tennessee Fisherman's favorite
fish, not only to catch but to eat as
well. This bigmouth is commonly
found throughout most of the
Photo Credit J&L Images/Getty Images streams and lakes in the state.
The Raccoon (Procynn lotor) was adopted
as Tennessee's official state wild animal
in 1972. These furry little fellows are
relatively common and will normally weigh
from 12-18 pounds with a few getting up
to a whopping 25 pounds. Their fur has
been worn for hundreds of years and the
coonskin hat has become somewhat of a
symbol itself made famous by one of
Tennessee's greatest legends, Davy
Photo Credit Byron Jorjorian/Getty Images Crockett wearing one

Tennessee River Pearl was designated as

Tennessee's State Gem in 1979 and is
known as one of the most durable pearls
in the world. They come in various shapes
such as spherical, pear-shaped, and
baroque or irregular. One of the best
places to explore and learn about
Tennessee Pearls is in Camden Tennessee
which is home to the Tennessee River
Freshwater Pearl Farm and Museum.
The Tennessee Walking Horse was named
the official state horse in 2000. The
Tennessee Walking Horse is one of the
smoothest riding horses in the world and
their heritage in Tennessee dates back
over one hundred years. They are quickly
identified by their long graceful gait and
can be found in abundance at the National
Walking Horse Championship, held
annually just outside of Nashville in
Shelbyville, Tennessee.

The mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) was

designated the official state bird of
Tennessee in 1933. The mockingbird is
one of the finest songbirds in North
American and known for mimicking the
songs of other birds as well as animals
and even, at times, people. When nesting,
the mockingbird will tend to be rather
territorial and aggressively attacks any
perceived threats.

The ladybug (Coccinella noemnotata) was

dedicated as Tennessee's state insect in
1975. Their life cycle is only about a
month long but they are an important
part of Tennessee agriculture as they
feed on other bugs that can destroy
farmers crops. Legend has it that these
brightly colored beetles were once used
to cure various diseases including colic
and the measles.
 The iris (genus Iridaceae) was designated
as Tennessee's State flower in 1933.
There are about 170 species of iris and
they come in many different colors.
While state legislature did not name a
particular color, the purple iris is
considered locally to be the state flower.

© Jan Duke

The Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides

marcellus) was designated as Tennessee's
official butterfly in 1995. This butterfly
was chosen by students from Gallatin
mostly because it lays it's eggs in a
southern favorite the PawPaw and other
similar Annonaceae. This beautiful
butterfly has black and white stripes
that run the length of its body and is
found mainly in rural areas.
Courtesy Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources

The tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)

was designated as Tennessee's official
state fruit in 2003 and so we all know now
that a tomato is a really fruit, not a
vegetable. Choosing the tomato as our
state's fruit was a brilliant idea as most
folks in Tennessee just really, really love
their tomatoes. It's one of our favorite
pastimes...
© Jan Duke
 The tulip poplar (Liriodendron
Tulipifera) was designated as the
official state tree in 1947. The tulip
poplar can live up to 200 years and
found from one end of the state to
the other. It was chosen because
early pioneers used it to construct
canoes, houses, and barns. Today it
is mostly used for cabinetry.

The Tennessee State Flag was officially

designated in 1905 and was designed by a
Tennessee soldier LeRoy Reeves. Each
part of the design has a meaning from
the three stars that represent the three
grand divisions of the state East Middle
and west the blue circle around them that
symbolizes the three great divisions
Tennessee State Flag
being bound together as one.
© Jan Duke

Designed by architect William Strickland, the

Tennessee Capitol building, overlooks
Bicentennial Mall. Construction began on the
Capitol Building in 1844 and was completed in
1859. Strickland died during the construction
in 1854 and is buried within its walls. The
State Capitol building sets atop a high hill in
downtown Nashville and offers a spectacular
view of many areas around the downtown area.

© Jan Duke
.
Unless otherwise noted pictures are Courtesy Tennessee Department of Tourist Development