Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Emblems

Provincial Flower: Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia Purpurea)

Pitcher Plant. Reproduced by permission of Ben Hansen. From Ben Hansen, Newfoundland (St. John's, Newfoundland: Vinland Press, ©1987).

Although it was not declared the provincial flower of Newfoundland and Labrador until 1954, this strange plant appeared on the Newfoundland penny during the late 1880s. The pitcher plant is found primarily in bogs and marshland throughout the province. It has a large wine-red flower with a red and gold centre, and hollow pitcher-shaped leaves are attached to the base of the stem. An insectivorous plant, it feeds off the insects that become trapped inside when the leaves fill with water.

Description based on Joan Rusted, Tolerable Good Anchorage: A Capsule History of St. John's, Newfoundland (St. John's, Newfoundland: Creative Publishers, ©1995) 92.

Provincial Tree: Black Spruce (Picea Mariana)

Designated as the provincial tree in November 1993, it is also known as the bog spruce. Although dark bluish-green in colour, it is called the "black" spruce to distinguish it from other types of spruce trees. An evergreen coniferous tree, it is tolerant of nutrient-deficient soils, growing primarily in areas that have poor drainage.

The black spruce is the most abundant tree in Labrador and appears on the Labrador flag. In North America, it grows as far north as Alaska and as far south as Massachusetts.

Provincial Bird: Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula Arctica)

Atlantic Puffin. Reproduced by permission of Kim Lambe. Photo ©1997.

The puffin has officially been the provincial bird of Newfoundland and Labrador since 1991. It is a member of the auk family. The puffin is also called the sea parrot because of its bright multi-coloured beak.

Marine birds that inhabit cliffs, puffins can dive 50 metres underwater in search of food. Their diet consists mostly of small fish such as caplin and herring, but they also feed on sand eels. These small birds, weighing around one pound, are about 30 cm high. Their wing span is approximately 55 cm, and they can fly up to 80 km per hour.

Puffins spend the majority of their lives on the water. They live approximately 25 years, usually mate for life, and produce only one egg per year. They can be found as far south as Maine and are common throughout the Atlantic provinces and Iceland. Witless Bay, Newfoundland, is home to the largest puffin colony in North America.

Provincial Mineral: Labradorite

Labradorite. Reproduced by permission of David Liverman, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. From Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador - "Minerals of Newfoundland and Labrador - Industrial Minerals" http://www.gov.nl.ca/mines&en/geosurvey/.

A mineral discovered in northern Labrador, it was first described by Moravian missionaries in the late 18th century and brought to Europe.

An iridescent crystalline mineral, it is from the plagioclase feldspar group. It is prized for its beautiful shifting iridescent colours of blue, green, grey and bronze.

Found largely in the Nain area of Labrador, it is being mined at Ten Mile Bay by the Labrador Inuit Association.

Labradorite is commonly used in ornamentation for buildings and in making jewellery.

Provincial Tartan

The Provincial Tartan. Courtesy of Linda Clifford - The Knockomie Collection.

The provincial tartan was developed in 1955 by Sam Wilansky, a clothing store owner on Water Street in St. John's. The tartan is predominantly green with gold, white, brown and red bands of colour. He chose most of the colours to correspond with The Ode to Newfoundland.

Provincial Game Bird: Partridge or Ptarmigan (Lagopus)

There are two partridge species in the province: the willow ptarmigan and the rock ptarmigan. Arctic birds, both species inhabit barrens and high country. The partridges inhabiting the Burin and Avalon peninsulas occupy the most southerly point of either species' habitat range in North America.

The above information was compiled from a variety of sources by Wendy Churchill, Alex Dalziel, Vanessa Rice. The information contained herein is accurate to August 1998.