The Ohio State Bird: Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) adopted in 1933. In 1803 when the state of Ohio was formed, there weren’t as many Cardinals as there are today. The heavily wooded young state wasn’t the best habitat for cardinals! By 1903 much of the state had been cleared of deep forests thus opening up more desirable habits for the cardinals. Cardinals do not migrate so we can find them year-round. They prefer woodland edges and prairie with shrubbery to hide and nest in. By 1933 when the state bird was chosen the Cardinal was found in all 88 counties in the state. Six other states have the Cardinal as their state bird!

The Ohio State Gemstone: Ohio Flint was adopted in 1965. Flint is plentiful in Ohio, especially in central and eastern Ohio. Flint comes in many colors including red, pink, green, blue, yellow, grey, white and black. Flint is a type of quartz which means it’s very hard, can be highly polished and honed to a sharp point.  Prehistoric and historic Native Americans used flint for many different types of tools, weapons and ceremonial items. Flint from Flint Ridge in Licking and Muskingum counties were often traded by the Hopewell Indians. Points made of Ohio Flint have been found from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Flint can be made into beautiful jewelry.

The Ohio State Fruit: Tomato adopted in 2009. The tomato as the state fruit was selected for the same reasons Tomato Juice was named the state beverage. Ohio farmers played a huge role in the popularity of the tomato. Ohio is the third largest producer of tomatoes!


The Ohio State Beverage: Tomato Juice was adopted in 1965. That year Ohio was second largest producer of tomato juice in the US. The adoption of Tomato juice as the state beverage was in coordination with the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival in Reynoldsburg, OH. This festival celebrates Alexander Livingston who in 1870 began to grow tomatoes commercially. It wasn’t until the 1840s that tomatoes began to be grown for consumption. Before that it was commonly thought that tomatoes were poisonous. North West Ohio is known for its production of tomatoes.

The Ohio State Frog: the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) Adopted in 2010. In 2002 students in Mr. Kaeser’s classes at Grizzell Middle School in Dublin, Ohio started to petition for the American Bullfrog to be the state frog. Eight years later their dream was realized! The American Bullfrog is a long-lived animal. As a tadpole it can take 1 – 3 years to become an adult. As an adult a bullfrog can live 7-9 years! They can also get very big. An adult can weigh over one pound! Bullfrogs are carnivores and eat a wide variety of insects, mice, crayfish, other frogs and even mice and small birds! Bullfrogs live in large permanent bodies of water. Bullfrogs can be found in swamps, lakes, and ponds. Bullfrogs are found in all of Ohio’s state parks and in all 88 counties. Two other states have identified bullfrogs as their state frog!

The Ohio State Fossil: The Isotelus (a type of trilobite) adopted in 1985. A trilobite is an invertebrate marine animal with a hard outer shell. It lived 430-480 million years ago in an ocean that covered Ohio. The Isotelus is the largest trilobite which could grow up to 2 feet across! Two other states have identified trilobites and their state fossil!

The Ohio State Mammal: The White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) adopted in 1988. The white-tailed deer has been in the State of Ohio since the end of the last ice age. The deer have been important to all prehistoric and historic populations. Native Americans used all parts of the deer for food, shelter, clothing and tools. The deer products were important to trade. The term “buck” for a dollar was used during the time Ohioans used buck skins for trade. With the depletion of the forest habitats due to increased population in the state, the population of deer shrunk. By 1904 there no longer any white-tailed deer in Ohio. During the 1920s and 1930s a restocking program began. By 1956 white tailed deer were once again found in all 88 counties in Ohio. The white-tailed deer population in Ohio today is estimated at 600,000. A white-tailed deer can run up to 40 MPH, jump up to 9 feet and swim up to 12 MPH! Eleven other states have selected white tailed deer to be their state’s mammal too!

The Ohio State Reptile: Black Racer Snake (coluber constrictor) adopted in 1995. The black racer is found in a variety of habitats including rocky ledges, pastures, overgrown fields, dry or moist woodlands and backyards. They are non-venomous. They feed on any smaller animal they can catch! Prey includes lizards, insects, moles, birds, eggs, rodents, smaller snakes, tads and frogs. The average 20-56 inches long.

Ohio State Amphibian: The Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) adopted in 2010. The Spotted Salamander can be found throughout Ohio in low lying moist woodlands near vernal ponds. Spotted Salamanders are nocturnal and considered Fossorial meaning it spends most of its life underground. Spotted Salamanders come up from underground in the early spring to travel to vernal ponds to reproduce. The salamanders use vernal ponds because they lack fish which will eat the eggs and larva of the salamanders. Spotted salamander adults eat insects, worms, slugs, spiders, and millipedes. Adults can range from 6 – 10 inches long. One other state has a spotted salamander as their state amphibian!

The Ohio State Wildflower: White Trillium (trillium grandiflorum) adopted in 1986. The white trillium is known by several different names! They include wake robin, snow trillium, wood lily, and giant or large white trillium. They live in the upland forests. They are known as an ephemeral plant meaning that it has a short lifecycle closely tied to the forest ecosystem it prefers. The White Trillium can be found in all 88 counties in Ohio.

The State of Ohio Native Fruit: The Pawpaw Tree. Adopted in 2009. Also known as the Appalachian banana, poor man’s banana, Indian banana and Quaker delight.  The pawpaw is North America’s largest native fruit tree. The pawpaw is found throughout Ohio. It likes to live in moist soil. In the dappled shade of the forest it will grow shrub-like. In full sun it can grow tree-like up to 30 feet tall. Prehistoric and historic native Americans used pawpaws extensively. It resembles a short fat banana. It is first green, then yellow, then brown. It has an avocado-like texture. It perishes quickly after harvesting with is why it’s difficult to market. It tastes like a cross between a banana and a mango. The pawpaw does not self-pollinate and needs to be planted with several plants in order to produce fruit.

The Ohio State Tree: The Buckeye Tree (Aesculus glabra) was adopted in 1953. The buckeye tree is mostly an understory tree meaning it can grow in partially shaded areas. It likes to grow along streams and rivers. Its lightweight wood was used to make artificial limbs! Carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket is good luck! The tree has its name from the shape of its nut which resembles the eye of a buck.

The Ohio State Flower: Red Carnation adopted in 1904. The red carnation (dianthus caryophyllus) was adopted by the state Legislature in 1904 in honor of President William McKinley. President McKinley was assassinated in 1901. He liked to wear a red carnation on the lapel of his jacket. **While this flower is technically native to Eurasia and not Ohio, it has been established here for over a century and provides nectar to important pollinators like butterflies!

And speaking of pollinators, let us include the native Convergent Ladybird Beetle here, which is also the Ohio State Insect! The Ladybug (ladybird beetle, Coccinellidae) was adopted in 1975. Ladybugs are found in all 88 Ohio counties. Ladybugs are ferocious predators especially good at eating aphids. Aphids are a small sapsucking insect that can cause damage to Ohio backyards and farmlands. There are many different species of ladybird beetle. While the legislature didn’t specify which type is the state insect, it is generally agreed upon that it is the Convergent Ladybird Beetle (Hippodamia convergens). In 1975 the Ohio General Assembly stated  that the ladybug “Is symbolic of the people of Ohio—she is proud and friendly, bringing delight to millions of children when she alights on their hand or arm to display her multi-colored wings, and she is extremely industrious and hardy, able to live under the most adverse conditions and yet retain her beauty and charm, while at the same time being of inestimable value to nature.” Ladybugs are a state symbol of 6 states!