Idaho state symbols
Idaho’s state bird is the mountain bluebird, its state flower the syringa, its state tree the western white pine and its motto “Esto perpetua”, Latin that the state’s own pages translate as “Be eternal” or “May it endure forever”.
How to read it
The bird, flower and tree are named in chapter 45 of title 67 of the Idaho Code, each with its scientific name: the mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) and the syringa (Philadelphus lewisii) from 1931, and the white pine (Pinus monticola) from 1935. The statute calls the tree simply the white pine; the state’s own symbol pages call it the western white pine. The motto is part of the great seal, which the legislature adopted in 1891 with “the Latin motto ‘Esto Perpetua’” on it. The seal was drawn by Emma Edwards, later Emma Edwards Green, and the Idaho Capitol Commission says it is the only state seal designed by a woman.
Also searched as: idaho state bird, idaho state flower, idaho state motto, idaho state symbols, idaho state tree.
Idaho’s symbols and when each was adopted
| Symbol | Official choice | Adopted | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird | Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) | 1931 | Idaho Code § 67-4501 |
| Flower | Syringa (Philadelphus lewisii) | 1931 | Idaho Code § 67-4502 |
| Tree | Western white pine (Pinus monticola) | 1935 | Idaho Code § 67-4504 |
| Motto | “Esto perpetua” | 1891 | Idaho Code § 59-1005 (the great seal) |
| Gem | Star garnet | 1967 | Idaho Code § 67-4505 |
What “Esto perpetua” means
The state’s own pages translate the motto differently. The state’s idaho.gov site gives “Be eternal”. The Idaho Capitol Commission gives “It is perpetuated” or “May it endure forever”. The law that adopts the seal gives the Latin only.
The gem and the nickname
The star garnet is the state gem by a law of 1967, which calls it “the official state stone, or state gem”. The Idaho Capitol Commission gives the state’s nickname as “The Gem State”.
Read next
- Next in US state symbolsMontana state symbolsMontana’s state bird is the western meadowlark, its state flower the bitterroot, its state tree the ponderosa pine and its motto “Oro y Plata”, Spanish for “Gold and Silver”.
- The same shape in Punctuation and typographic symbolsQuotation marks (“ ”)Quotation marks (“ ” and ‘ ’), also called quotes, quote marks, speech marks or, in Britain, inverted commas, enclose words that someone said or wrote, and words used in an unusual sense. American style puts double marks first and commas and full stops (periods) inside them; British book style often puts single marks first, with full stops outside unless they belong to the quotation.
More US state symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with curves and waves.
Sources
- Idaho Code § 67-4501, Idaho Code § 67-4501, State bird designated, Idaho Legislature, § 67-4501 and history note
- Idaho Code § 67-4502, Idaho Code § 67-4502, State flower designated, Idaho Legislature, § 67-4502 and history note
- Idaho Code § 67-4504, Idaho Code § 67-4504, State tree designated, Idaho Legislature, § 67-4504 and history note
- Idaho Code § 67-4505, Idaho Code § 67-4505, State gem designated, Idaho Legislature, § 67-4505 and history note
- Idaho Code § 59-1005, Idaho Code § 59-1005, Great seal of state, Idaho Legislature, § 59-1005 and history note
- Facts & Symbols (idaho.gov), Facts & Symbols, idaho.gov, About Idaho, State of Idaho, State symbols list
- Facts About Idaho (Idaho Capitol Commission), Facts About Idaho, Idaho Capitol Commission, Education, Idaho Capitol Commission, State Symbols
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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