North Carolina State Tree Longleaf Pine

Dogwood • State Flower North Carolinians know it's not truly spring until the dogwoods bloom. The showy and beautiful dogwood tree became the state flower — yes, flower — in 1941, but the pops of white scattered along the edges of woods across the state have been a welcome herald of warmer weather since long before that.. North Carolina's cardinal and dogwood are among the most familiar official state symbols in the Southeast. The Tar Heel nickname, longleaf pine, Esse Quam Videri motto, Colonial Spanish Mustang, and Plott Hound give the state's list more range than the woodland symbols alone suggest — from Outer Banks horses to mountain dog history.

North Carolina adopted Pine as its state tree in 1963, honoring the genus rather than a single species. The choice reflects the state's long ties to timber, tar, pitch, and turpentine - industries deeply bound up with North Carolina's history and Tar Heel identity. This profile appears in the list of U.S. state trees.. Selection as State Tree As early as 1959, the Garden Clubs of North Carolina had begun a campaign to name a state tree. At their 1962 meeting, a poll was circulated to the various member clubs, and the pine was the first choice. Despite popular belief, no single species of pine is designated as the official tree of North Carolina.