Symbol | Official Item

Ohio designated the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) as official state bird in 1933. The cardinal is the state bird of 7 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. All State Birds

Northern Cardinal Facts

One of America's favorite backyard birds, northern cardinals are distinctive in appearance and song - known for their familiar "cheer cheer cheer," "whit-chew whit-chew" and "purty purty purty" whistles.

Ohio flint was designated the official state gemstone of Ohio in 1965. Large quantities of this gemstone can be found in Ohio, especially in the eastern and central parts of the state. All State Gems

Used to make jewelry and highly prized by collectors, Ohio flint comes in a variety of color combinations that include red, pink, green, blue, yellow, gray, white, and black.

Ohio designated the red carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) as the official state flower in 1904. All State Flowers

The red carnation was chosen to honor President William McKinley (an Ohioan) who was assassinated in 1901. President McKinley liked to wear red carnations on the lapel of his jacket. Ohio also recognizes an official state wildflower (white trillium)

Ohio designated white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) as the official wildflower in 1986 (red carnation is the state flower, adopted in 1904). All State Flowers

Ohio designated the American bullfrog as the official state frog in 2010. Bullfrogs are found in ponds, marshes and slow-moving streams throughout Ohio (Missouri and Oklahoma also recognize the bullfrog as a state symbol). Ohio also adopted an official state amphibian (spotted salamander). All State Amphibians

Tomato juice was designated the official state beverage of Ohio in 1965 (in 2009 Ohio also recognized tomato as the official state fruit). Ohio is one of the top tomato-producing states. All State Foods & Beverages

Ohio designated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentus) as the official state fruit of Ohio in 2009 (pawpaw was designated the official native fruit). Tomato juice has been the official state beverage of Ohio since 1965. All State Foods & Beverages

Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) was designated the official state tree of Ohio in 1953. All State Trees

Buckeye trees are fairly common in Ohio, growing especially well along rivers, streams, and on floodplains. Ohio's state nickname is "The Buckeye State" and Ohio residents are often called "Buckeyes."

Ohio designated the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) as the official state amphibian in 2010. Ohio also recognizes an official state frog. All State Amphibians

Ohio designated the Isotelus trilobite as the official state fossil in 1985. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin also recognize trilobites as state symbols. All State Fossils

Isotelus is the largest known trilobite; an extinct arthropod that lived between 430 and 480 million years ago when saltwater covered what is now the state of Ohio. Some Isotelus trilobites reached over two feet in length!