Connecticut state symbols
Connecticut’s state bird is the American robin, its state flower the mountain laurel, its state tree the white oak and its motto “Qui Transtulit Sustinet” (“He Who Transplanted Still Sustains”).
How to read it
Chapter 33 of the General Statutes names each one with its scientific name: the American robin (Turdus migratorius), the mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) and the white oak (Quercus alba). The Secretary of the State’s Register and Manual dates them to acts of the legislature: the mountain laurel in 1907, the robin in 1943 and the white oak in 1947. The motto is the one on the state arms, whose design the General Assembly adopted on March 24, 1931; the law puts it in block letters on a white streamer below the shield. Connecticut has also been known by law as “The Constitution State” since 1959.
Also searched as: connecticut state bird, connecticut state flower, connecticut state motto, connecticut state symbols, connecticut state tree.
Connecticut’s symbols and when each was adopted
| Symbol | Official choice | Adopted | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird | American robin (Turdus migratorius) | 1943 | Gen. Stat. § 3-109 |
| Flower | Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) | 1907 | Gen. Stat. § 3-108 |
| Tree | White oak (Quercus alba) | 1947 | Gen. Stat. § 3-110 |
| Motto | “Qui Transtulit Sustinet” | 1931, on the state arms | Gen. Stat. § 3-105 |
| Animal | Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) | 1975 | Gen. Stat. § 3-109a |
| Official designation | “The Constitution State” | 1959 | Gen. Stat. § 3-110a |
Not the English robin
The state’s own page on the bird says the name robin is given to several birds, but in North America it means the migratory thrush, with a reddish brown or tawny breast. Early colonists called it robin after the English bird they remembered.
The Charter Oak
The page the state gives for its state tree tells the story of the Charter Oak. It hid Connecticut’s charter in 1687, when Captain Joseph Wadsworth is credited with taking the document from the table and hiding it in the oak on the Wyllys estate, and it fell in a great storm on August 21, 1856.
Read next
- Next in US state symbolsMaine state symbolsMaine’s state bird is the chickadee, its state flower the white pine cone and tassel, its state tree the white pine and its motto “Dirigo” (“I direct” or “I guide”).
- The same shape in US state flagsFlag of VirginiaVirginia’s flag is deep blue with a white disc holding the front of the state seal: Virtus, the genius of the Commonwealth, dressed as an Amazon with a spear and a sheathed sword, standing over Tyranny, a fallen man with a broken chain and a crown beside him. VIRGINIA is above and the motto SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS below; the Secretary of the Commonwealth says the fallen crown shows the struggle has ended in complete victory.
More US state symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with squares and rectangles.
Sources
- General Statutes of Connecticut: Chapter 33, General Statutes of Connecticut, Title 3, Chapter 33 (State Seal, Arms and Emblems), §§ 3-105, 3-108 to 3-110a, Connecticut General Assembly, § 3-105 (arms); § 3-108 (flower); § 3-109 (bird); § 3-109a (animal); § 3-110 (tree); § 3-110a (Constitution State)
- Connecticut State Register and Manual: Selected facts about Connecticut, Connecticut State Register and Manual, Section X: Facts, Statistics and Holidays, “Selected facts about Connecticut”, Connecticut Secretary of the State, Selected facts about Connecticut
- CT.gov: The State Bird, The State Bird, About Connecticut: State Symbols, CT.gov, State of Connecticut, The State Bird
- CT.gov: The State Tree, The State Tree, About Connecticut: State Symbols, CT.gov (reproduced from the Connecticut State Register & Manual), State of Connecticut, The State Tree
- CT.gov: The Armorial Bearings, The Armorial Bearings, About Connecticut: State Symbols, CT.gov, State of Connecticut, The Armorial Bearings
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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