List of New Jersey state symbols

This is a list of official symbols of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Official symbols of New Jersey are codified in the laws of New Jersey.

Location of the state of New Jersey in the United States

History

A decade-long campaign by a Haddon Township teacher led to the selection of Hadrosaurus foulkii as the official state fossil in June 1991. This example of the dinosaur was excavated in 1858 from a marl pit near Haddonfield as one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons to be reconstructed. It remains on display at the New Jersey State Museum, where it has been on display since 1931.[1]

In what The New York Times described as a "food fight", Assemblymember Clare Farragher argued in 2003 that the tomato has a strong historical association with the Garden State and that "the Jersey tomato does have a unique taste" that derives from the characteristics of the soil on the Atlantic coast.[2] Legislation ultimately passed in 2003 establishing the blueberry as New Jersey's official state fruit.[3]

In online balloting, "New Jersey: Come See For Yourself" was selected by the 11,000 participants in 2006 as the winner, from a slogan originally submitted by a resident of Passaic, New Jersey.[4] The Governor of New Jersey announced the new slogan in January 2006, after having previously rejected the slogan "We'll Win You Over", which had been developed by an advertising agency at the cost of $250,000 and was deemed to be "too negative and prone to ridicule". "Come See For Yourself" edged out second-place finisher "New Jersey: The Best Kept Secret" by approximately 100 votes.[5]

On May 10, 2019, New Jersey became the second state in the United States to have an Official State Microbe, the bacterium Streptomyces griseus.[6]

On January 21, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation that officially designates the Seeing Eye dog as the state dog of New Jersey.[7]

On August 7, 2023, Senate President Nicholas Scutari, in his capacity as acting governor, signed a bill designating cranberry juice as New Jersey's state juice. The legislation was enacted after a successful proposal from Cinnaminson Township fourth grade students.[8]

State symbols
Flag of New Jersey[9]
1896
Seal of New Jersey[9]
1777 (modified 1928)
Route marker
Quarter (released in 1999)
State birdEastern goldfinch
(Carduelis tristis)[9]
State colorBuff and Jersey Blue[10]
   
State cryptidJersey Devil
(not classified)[9]
State danceSquare dance[9]
State dinosaurHadrosaurus foulkii[9]
State dogSeeing Eye Dog[9]
State fishBrook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)[9]
State flowerCommon meadow violet
(Viola sororia)[9]
State fruitNorthern highbush blueberry
(Vaccinium corymbosum)[9]
State insectEuropean honey bee
(Apis mellifera)[9]
State juiceCranberry juice[8]
State mammalHorse
(Equus caballus)[9]
State microbeStreptomyces griseus[11]
State mineralFranklinite[12]
State motto"Liberty and Prosperity"[13]
State nicknameThe Garden State
State reptileBog turtle
(Glyptemys muhlenbergii))[14]
State sloganCome See For Yourself[4]
State songNone[15]
State soilDowner[16]
State shipA. J. Meerwald[9]
State shellKnobbed whelk
(Busycon carica gmelin)[9]
State treeNorthern red oak
(Quercus borealis maxima)
(syn. Quercus rubra)[9]
State memorial treeDogwood
(Cornus Florida)
State vegetableJersey tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum)[17]

See also

References
  1. Gray, Jerry. "New Jersey's Dinosaur In Need of a New Look; Replica From Hadrosaurus's Heyday Is Outdated, According to Expert", The New York Times, August 7, 1999. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  2. Grabell, Michael J. "Up Front: Worth Noting; Is This a Food Fight Or the State Assembly?", The New York Times, March 2, 2003. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  3. 52:9A-9 Legislative History Checklist Archived 2012-09-07 at archive.today, New Jersey State Library. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  4. Governor's Call to Action, State of New Jersey, January 12, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  5. Jones, Richard Lezin. "New Jersey Picks a Slogan: Come Read It for Yourself", The New York Times, January 13, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  6. "New Jersey Legislature - Bills". www.njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  7. "Seeing Eye® Dog Designated State Dog of New Jersey". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  8. Redmond, Kimberly (2023-08-09). "Scutari signs bill designating NJ's official state juice". NJBIZ. BridgeTower Media. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  9. Facts & Symbols, State of New Jersey. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  10. The New Jersey State Flag, State of New Jersey. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  11. "New Jersey Legislature - Bills". www.njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  12. "Office of the Governor | Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Designating Franklinite as State Mineral". www.nj.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  13. Terhune, Albert Payson. "The Story of the States", The Pittsburgh Press, December 8, 1912. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  14. Presinzano, Jessica. "New Jersey has a new state reptile and it's so fitting", The Record (Bergen County), June 19, 2018. Accessed June 26, 2018. "The Garden State has a new state reptile. In fact, it's the state's first, and it speaks to the heart of New Jersey. It's the bog turtle."
  15. State of New Jersey – FAQs
  16. New Jersey State Soil - Downer Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Accessed June 2, 2010.
  17. Staff. "YOU SAY TOMATO", The New Yorker, March 21, 2005. Accessed June 2, 2010.
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