In 1893, Minnesotans mistakenly adopted a flower that isn t native to Minnesota. Mistletoe certainly isn t something you d grow in a garden or see in a florist s shop. Thus, Oklahoma joins Maine as the two states whose state flowers aren t really flowers. No other state adopted Oklahoma s state tree or grass, the redbud and Indian grass. Nor has any other state given official status to Oklahoma s state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher.
Mountain boomer is a nickname applied to the collared lizard, Oklahoma s state reptile.
In 1969, Oklahoma was the first state to adopt an official reptile. Unfortunately, Oklahomans didn t follow through and make their choice legal. During the Dust Bowl years, many Oklahomans emigrated to California, which became the first state to officially adopt a state reptile. Oklahoma alone calls the white, or sand, bass its state fish. It shares its other animal symbols with other states.