State Symbols

State 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 Song: “Maryland, My Maryland,” written by teacher James Ryder Randall after a Civil War riot in Baltimore
State Gem: Patuxent River Stone. The Patuxent River Stone is actually an agate, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz. Found only in Maryland, the Patuxent River Stone's colors of red and yellow reflect the Maryland State Flag.
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 Horse: Thoroughbred Horse.  The average Thoroughbred stands 16 hands (64") high at the withers, and weighs 1,000 pounds. Its coat colors may be bay, dark bay, chestnut, black, gray, or occasionally roan.
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 orange/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. It was symbolized by the Wye Oak that stood at Wye Mills on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
State Sport: Jousting, which requires horseback riders to spear small, suspended rings
State Team Sport: Lacrosse. Lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America dating back to the 17th century. Indians played lacrosse to heal the sick and to prepare for war.
State Folk Dance: Square dancing. Square Dancing has been a popular folk tradition since 1651.
State Drink: Milk. Found primarily in Frederick and Washington counties, most Maryland milk cows are Holsteins and can be recognized by their large black and white spots.
State Dinosaur: Astrodon johnstoni, “star tooth,” which lived between 95 and 130 million years ago
State Fossil Shell: Ecphora 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.
State Exercise: Walking. Became the State Exercise of Maryland on October 1, 2008. Maryland holds the honors as first state in the nation to designate a state exercise.