The State Seal

The Connecticut State Seal has three grapevines with 

fruit, standing for the first three towns in 

Connecticut settled by English colonists (Windsor, 

Wethersfield, and Hartford). Below the grapevines is 

a banner with the state motto: (Qui Transtulit 

Sustinet) Latin for-- He who is transplanted still 

sustains.   This refers to the first settlers who moved 

to Connecticut from Massachusetts.   Even though the 

settlers were “re-planted”, they still survived and 

grew, just like the vines.

               The American Robin

The American Robin was adopted as the 

official state bird by the General Assembly 

in 1943. The American Robin is a bird of 

North America.   The Robin can be up to 

8.5 inches in length.   The Robin likes to 

sing early in the morning and has a loud 

cheery song. It was called the Robin by 

early settlers after their beloved Robin in 

England.   Some people do not know that 

Robins spend their winter in New 

England.  

The Mountain Laurel

The Mountain Laurel is a close relative to the 

rhododendrons and azaleas. The Mountain Laurel 

has deep green leaves which are attractive in all  

seasons. The Mountain Laurel’s spring and summer 

flowers make it a wonderful flower to grow in your 

yard. In England, the Mountain Laurel blooms in 

late and early June. The Greeks and Romans used 

Mountain Laurel leaves to make wreaths. The state 

flower of Connecticut is the Mountain Laurel which 

has soft green leaves and big beautiful clutches of 

pink or white spring blooms.  

The Charter Oak

The state tree is the white oak. The Charter Oak is 

the White Oak tree. The Charter Oak is a symbol of 

love and freedom. There is a picture of the Charter 

Oak on a quarter. The shape of the Charter Oak’s 

leaf is oblong or oval in shape. The leaves have no 

hair and are bright green on top and whitish on the 

bottom. There are male and female flowers. The 

male flowers are green. The female flowers are 

reddish and look like a spike. The Charter Oak has 

acorns. The top of the acorn always comes off 

between July and September. The twigs are hairless. 

They have tiny hairless buds. The bark is whitish or 

grayish.

                  State Folk Dance

    The state folk dance is the Square 

Dance. It became the state folk dance in 

1995. The square dance is very popular. The 

dance is for four couples or groups of four 

couples. These groups form a square. The 

music is played by a fiddle, accordion, banjo, 

or guitar. The dancer follows the directions 

of a “caller”. 

The State Ship

Our state ship, the USS 571 Nautilus, was 

made by a Connecticut craftsman. The 

USS 571 Nautilus was the world’s first 

ever nuclear powered submarine. The 

Nautilus could travel more than 500,000 

nautical miles. The USS Nautilus was 

named the Connecticut State Ship by the 

1983 General Assembly. It has been made 

into a National Historic Landmark. Our 

state ship is permanently kept next to the 

submarine Force Library and Museum in 

Groton, CT.

The Connecticut Shellfish--The Eastern Oyster

The State of Connecticut’s shellfish is called the 

Eastern Oyster.   The eastern oyster is mostly 

found in Long Island Sound.   The Connecticut 

shellfish was found in Connecticut in the 1700’s 

and became the state fish in 1989.

Oyster farming is very popular in Connecticut. 

Oysters found in the Connecticut shoreline are 

sent all over the country. In the 1800’s, 

Connecticut was known for having the largest 

fleet of oyster steamers in the world. This gave 

the people of Connecticut lots of jobs. 

State Insect Facts

The European Mantis became the state insect in 

October 1, 1977. The European mantis is not 

native to Connecticut. It came to us from 

Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and Asia. The 

mantis can be found throughout the state from 

early May or June until the cold weather sets in, 

when they die quickly. This small green or 

brown insect eats aphids, flies, grasshoppers, 

small caterpillars and moths. The praying 

mantis is a helpful insect for farmers.