State Symbols
There is little debate that Maryland has unique, and some of the coolest, state symbols!
Maryland State FlagState Flag: Black and gold quarters (the arms of Lord Baltimore’s family, the Calverts) along with red and white quarters (the arms of his mother’s family, the Crosslands)
State Dessert: Smith Island Cake, made by the ladies of Smith Island for years, has achieved national recognition. With impossibly thin layers of cake and icing stacked high, Smith Island cakes are a unique treat
State Dog: Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a hunting breed with webbed paws and a waterproof coat
State Cat: Calico, with colors resembling the Maryland flag
State Bird: Baltimore Oriole, with black and gold coloring
State Fish: Striped bass, also known as rockfish
State Crustacean: Maryland blue crab
State Boat: Skipjack, the last working boat under sail in North America, used for dredging oysters in the Chesapeake Bay
State Flower: Black-eyed Susan, with black and gold coloring and a blossom of 13 petals
State Tree: White Oak
State Sport: Jousting, which requires horseback riders to spear small, suspended rings
State Folk Dance: Square dancing
State Drink: Milk
State Dinosaur: Astrodon johnstoni, “star tooth,” which lived between 95 and 130 million years ago
State Fossil Shell: Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae, an extinct Chesapeake Bay snail
State Insect: Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, with orange and white spots on a black base
State Reptile: Diamondback terrapin, also the University of Maryland College Park mascot