The following Delaware state symbols have been approved by the Delaware General Assembly and added to the Delaware Code: Delaware in United States (zoom)

Colors

The official

colors Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

are colonial blue and buff

Seal

The

seal of Delaware The great seal of the state of Delaware was first adopted on January 17, 1777, with the current version being adopted April 29, 2004. It contains the state coat of arms surrounded by an inscription. Coat of arms At the center of the coat of arm ...

was first adopted on January 17, 1777, with the current version being adopted April 29, 2004. It contains the state coat of arms surrounded by the inscription "Great Seal of the State of Delaware" and the dates 1704, 1776 and 1787.

Flag

The

flag of Delaware The flag of Delaware consists of a buff-colored diamond on a field of colonial blue, with the coat of arms of the state of Delaware inside the diamond. Below the diamond, the date December 7, 1787, declares the day on which Delaware became the ...

was first adopted on July 24, 1913. It consists of a buff-colored diamond on a field of colonial blue, with the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

of the state of Delaware inside the diamond. Below the diamond, the date December 7, 1787, declares the day on which Delaware became the first state to ratify the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

. The colors of the flag reflect the colors of the uniform of General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

Fruit

The

strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

was adopted as the state fruit in 2010.

Dessert

Peach pie This is a list of pies, tarts and flans. A pie is a baked or fried dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweetness, sweet or Umami, savory ingredients. A tart is a baked dish con ...

was adopted as the state dessert in 2009.

Motto

''"

Liberty and Independence The great seal of the state of Delaware was first adopted on January 17, 1777, with the current version being adopted April 29, 2004. It contains the state coat of arms surrounded by an inscription. Coat of arms At the center of the coat of arm ...

"'' was approved in 1847, and derived from the Order of Cincinnati.

Song

" Our Delaware" was first adopted in 1925. It is a poem containing three verses written by George B. Hynson, a fourth verse written by Donn Devine, and a musical score composed by Will M. S. Brown.

Nicknames

The First State

This nickname was officially adopted on May 23, 2002, to commemorate the fact that on December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

The Diamond State

This nickname comes from the legend that Thomas Jefferson described Delaware as a jewel among states due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard.

Blue Hen State

This nickname comes from the fighting Blue Hen cocks that were carried with soldiers for entertainment during the Revolutionary War.

Small Wonder

This nickname comes from substantial contributions Delaware has made as compared to its relatively small size.

The Last State

Some residents of states that were also formerly part of the 13 original colonies have given this name to Delaware as a parody or insult to its classic nickname "The First State."

Bird

The

Delaware Blue Hen The Delaware Blue Hen is a blue strain of American gamecock. It was adopted on April 14, 1939, as the state bird of Delaware. It is one of three U.S. state birds that is not a species native to the United States. History The Blue Hen is not ...

was officially adopted on April 14, 1939, having been used as many political campaigns and publications.

Tree

The

American holly ''Ilex opaca'', the American holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern and south-central United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas. Description ''Ilex opaca ...

(''Ilex opaca'') was officially adopted May 1, 1939, regarded as one of Delaware's most important forest trees.

Flower

The peach blossom was officially adopted on May 9, 1895, in recognition of peach tree orchards yielding thousands of dollars worth of crop worth at that time.

Bug

The lady bug was officially adopted April 25, 1974, at the suggestion of Mollie Brown-Rust's 2nd grade class at the Lulu M. Ross Elementary School in

Milford, Delaware Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2020 census, the population of the city is 11,190 people and 4,356 households in the city. The Kent County portion of Milford is part of the Dover, DE ...

Mineral

Sillimanite Sillimanite is an aluminosilicate mineral with the chemical formula Al2SiO5. Sillimanite is named after the American chemist Benjamin Silliman (1779–1864). It was first described in 1824 for an occurrence in Chester, Connecticut. Occurrence S ...

was recognized by geologists in Delaware prior to 1830, is widespread throughout the schists of the Delaware Piedmont, and occurs as large masses and stream-rounded boulders at the Brandywine Springs State Park.

Fish

The

weakfish The weakfish, ''Cynoscion regalis'', is a marine fish of the drum family Sciaenidae. A medium-large, slender, marine fish, it is found along the east coast of North America. The head and back of this fish are dark brown in color with a greenish t ...

(''Cynoscion regalis'') was officially adopted in 1981 in recognition of its values as a game and food fish.

Beverage

Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...

was officially adopted on June 3, 1983.

Herb

Sweet goldenrod (''Solidago odora'') was officially adopted June 24, 1996, as indigenous to the state, commonly found in coastal areas and along the edges of marshes and thickets.

Fossil

Belemnite Belemnitida (or the belemnite) is an extinct order of squid-like cephalopods that existed from the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous. Unlike squid, belemnites had an internal skeleton that made up the cone. The parts are, from the arms-most to ...

was officially adopted on July 2, 1996, at the suggestion of Kathy Tidball's third grade Quest students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

. The fossil, an extinct squid with a conical shell, is commonly found along the

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (C&D Canal) is a -long, -wide and -deep ship canal that connects the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay in the states of Delaware and Maryland in the United States. In the mid‑17th century, mapmaker Augus ...

Butterfly

The

eastern tiger swallowtail ''Papilio glaucus'', the eastern tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, ranging north to southern Ontario, Canada, and is common in m ...

(''Pterourus glaucus'') was officially adopted on June 10, 1999, as indigenous to Delaware and commonly found in deciduous woods, along streams, rivers, and wooded swamps, and in towns and cities throughout Delaware. They were chosen based on a statewide vote of public and parochial students, out of suggestions from students of the Richardson Park Learning Center.

Star

The star

TYC 3429-697-1 Ursa Major (; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear," referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa ...

in the Ursa Major constellation was officially adopted on 2000, after it was nicknamed "The Delaware Diamond". Despite being the official state star, its name is not recognized by astronomical community, because it was named by the private company

International Star Registry The International Star Registry (ISR) is an organization founded in 1979, which sells the right to unofficially name stars. Overview The company sells the right to unofficially name a star, often as a gift or memorial. These names are recorded i ...

Soil

Greenwich loam was officially adopted on April 20, 2000, as commonly found in all counties in Delaware and enhancing water quality, agriculture, wildlife habitat, and

natural landscape A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the kn ...

beauty.

Marine animal

The

horseshoe crab Horseshoe crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae and the only living members of the order Xiphosura. Despite their name, they are not true crabs or crustaceans: they are chelicerates, most closely related to arachn ...

(''Limulus polyphemus'') was officially adopted on June 25, 2002, in recognition of its importance and value in the medical field and as the principal food source for more than a million shore birds.

Macroinvertebrate

The

stonefly Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mo ...

(order Plecoptera) was officially adopted on May 4, 2005, in recognition of the importance of excellent water quality and the vital role played by healthy aquatic ecosystems. It was supported by Gunning-Bedford Middle School, Salesianum High School, Delcastle Technical High School, Dickinson High School Environmental Club, The Independence School, Springer Middle School, St. Andrews School, and The Charter School of Wilmington.

Wildlife animal

Grey fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener (biology), congener, the diminutive island fox ...

" (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus'') was adopted as the state wildlife animal in 2010.Delaware Code Title 29 § 323
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Tall ship

The

Kalmar Nyckel ''Kalmar Nyckel'' (''Key of Kalmar'') was a Swedish ship built by the Dutch famed for carrying Swedish settlers to North America in 1638, to establish the colony of New Sweden. The name Kalmar Nyckel comes from the Swedish city of Kalmar and nyck ...

was adopted in 2016 as the state tall ship, serving "as Delaware’s seagoing ambassador both at home and at many ports of call, raising awareness of the First State for thousands who see her and come on board."

Other

File:1969 Delaware license plate 000000 sample.jpg, Delaware License Plate File:1999 DE Proof.png, State quarter for Delaware

References

External links

Delaware Facts and Symbols
{{state symbols, collapsed State symbols

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...