The West Virginia flag features the state motto "Montani Semper Liberi" (Latin for "Mountaineers Are Always Free"), a wreath of Rhododendron (the state flower), and the state coat-of-arms (also on the state seal).. The West Virginia state flag meaning comes from symbols depicting West Virginia's Civil War origins and industrial heritage. The design reflects West Virginia's separation from Virginia during the Civil War. The white field symbolizes purity. The blue border represents the Union. The coat of arms shows agriculture and industry as the state's principal resources. The crossed rifles illustrate.
The West Virginia state flag took 66 years to get right — three designs, two failed attempts, and one French artist's Latin motto borrowed from Swiss mountaineers. Here's the full history.. flag of West Virginia U.S. state flag consisting of a white field (background) bordered in blue and featuring a coat of arms in the centre. Around the coat of arms is a wreath of the big laurel (Rhododendron maximum), which was designated the state flower in 1903.