If you’re among those who have called Utah home for years, chances are you’ve gleaned plenty of vital information about the Beehive State — like the fact that state leaders have been obsessed with honeybees since Utah was still a territory.

But even if you are Utah born and bred and your ancestors arrived in an ox-drawn wagon, you might not know Utah has 28 official designations for everything from a folk dance (square dance) to an astronomical symbol (the Beehive Cluster in the constellation of Cancer the Crab).

Here is some essential information to help keep your state residency from being revoked.

State song: “Utah, This is the Place”

Written in 1996 by Sam and Gary Francis for the state centennial celebration, it was officially designated as the state song in 2003 by the Utah Legislature. If you thought the sate song was “Utah, We Love Thee,” you get a consolation point because it was the former state song, which was changed to the state hymn to make room for the new tune.

View the accompanying video to see school children performing the official state song.

State cooking pot: Dutch oven

This is appropriate because Utah is home to the International Dutch Oven Society, “the largest and most productive group of black pot enthusiasts in the world.” The cast iron pots were a staple of early mountain men who rendezvoused in Cache Valley and at Bear Lake in the 1820s. Mormon pioneers also favored the heavy pots, even the weight-conscious handcart companies.

State tree: Quaking Aspen

For decades, Utah’s state tree was the Colorado Blue Spruce, a beautiful tree that comprises less than 1 percent of state forest growth. In 2014, state leaders instead chose the quaking aspen as the state tree.

Aspens are found throughout the state and one cluster near Fish Lake is considered to be one of the oldest and largest living organisms on the planet. Called “Pando,” the aspen stand spreads across 106 acres and includes more than 40,000 trees connected by a shared root system. It is estimated to have started at the end of the last ice age.

State historic vegetable: Sugar Beet

If you were looking for the contemporary state vegetable, that would be the Spanish Sweet Onion. The National Onion Association reports Utah grows more than 80 million pounds of onions each year. That puts it about 12th among all states in onion production.

Historically, sugar beets were important in Utah. Pioneers craved sweets and beets provided the solution, with an emerging industry that produced hundreds of tons of sugar annually. Utah's last sugar beet factory shuttered in the 1980s.

Utah State Tartan

It’s true: Utah has an official tartan. Keep that in mind when choosing your next kilt. Imagine the embarrassment if you showed up wearing the wrong pattern.

Celebrating Utah's uniqueness

Robert J. DeBry & Associates enjoys sponsoring these stories about traits and attributes that make Utah a great state. If you've been injured in an accident and need legal assistance, please contact our office at 801-699-9999.

The state centennial tartan was adopted in 1996. Its roots connect to Ephraim Logan, a mountain man who visited Cache Valley. He named the local river Logan after his ancestral Scottish clan, which had one of the original 19 tartans of Scotland.

The Utah tartan is a variation of the original Logan tartan with a white strip added to the blue-green-blue-red pattern.

Utah State Firearm: Browning M1911 Pistol

In spite of some controversy, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation designating a state firearm in 2011. This handgun was a revolutionary design by Utah native John Moses Browning, one of the greatest gun designers of all time. It was the official handgun of the U.S. military from 1911 to 1986. Even though it was replaced, variants remain in use by some U.S. special forces units. It is also popular among law enforcement agencies and competitive and recreational shooters.

Take this quiz to test your knowledge of other Utah symbols.

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