State Flower
Minnesota's state flower is the Pink and White Lady's Slipper. This flower lives in damp and wet areas and matures very slowly. It sometimes takes up to 16 years to create its first flower. It is considered a wildflower and is classified in the orchid family. It is also sometimes referred to as the moccasin flower.
State Motto
A state's motto is a specially chosen word or group of words that shows the state's goals or ideals. This is my state's motto.
L' Etoile du Nord
It means "The Star of the North."
L' Etoile du Nord
It means "The Star of the North."
State Bird
My state's bird is the Great Nothern Loon. They are well known for the various sounds they make. They like to be away from people and disturbances. Therefore, they usually find secluded fresh water lakes to find the small fish they eat. Loons begin their flight by running for a while first as if on an airplane runway.
State Song
Most states have a state song. Some state songs tell why the citizens love their state. The author of my state song is Truman E. Rickard and Arthur E. Upson. The song's title is "Hail Minnesota."
Here are the lyrics to my state song:
Minnesota, hail to thee!
Hail to thee our state so dear!
Thy light shall ever be
A beacon bright and clear.
Thy sons and daughters true
Will proclaim thee near and far.
They shall guard thy fame
And adore thy name;
Thou shalt be their Northern Star.
Like the stream that bends to sea,
Like the pine that seeks the blue,
Minnesota, still for thee,
Thy sons are strong and true.
From thy woods and waters fair,
From thy prairies waving far,
At thy call they throng,
With their shout and song,
Hailing thee their Northern Star.
Here are the lyrics to my state song:
Minnesota, hail to thee!
Hail to thee our state so dear!
Thy light shall ever be
A beacon bright and clear.
Thy sons and daughters true
Will proclaim thee near and far.
They shall guard thy fame
And adore thy name;
Thou shalt be their Northern Star.
Like the stream that bends to sea,
Like the pine that seeks the blue,
Minnesota, still for thee,
Thy sons are strong and true.
From thy woods and waters fair,
From thy prairies waving far,
At thy call they throng,
With their shout and song,
Hailing thee their Northern Star.
State Tree
My state tree is the Red Pine. It is also called the Norway Pine and can reach up to 100 feet tall. These trees have a very strong root system. The system is so strong that if a wind storm came and caused the tree to fall, it would have most likely fallen due to the trunk braking and not because it was uprooted, as most other trees. When the needles fall from this tree they form a layer of soil on the ground that the tree can reuse.
State Flag
Minnesota's state flag has a blue background with the state seal in the middle.
State Seal
A symbol is something that stands for or represents another thing. Here is what the parts of my state's seal symbolize.
The seal of Minnesota contains the state motto, L'etoile du Nord . The motto means the star of the north. It has trees in the background to represent the large lumber industry. It shows an Indian to represent the people that Minnesota originated from. The fields of grain and wheat are there to represent that much of the state has those kinds of fields. |
State Nickname
Just like some people, state's have nicknames in addition to their real names. Nicknames reveal some unique feature about the state. My state's nickname is The North Star State. This nickname was probably chosen because it is the northernmost state. The state's license plate actually has one of its other nicknames on it, the land of 10,000 lakes.