Official Birds, Flowers, and Trees of Canada’s Provinces and Territories

CANADA’s ten provinces and three territories each have multiple official symbols established through nomination processes in various years. For examples, the Alberta chose the wild rose in 1930; Ontario adopted the white trillium and eastern white pine in 1937 and 1984, respectively; Saskatchewan selected the western red lily in 1941; and the western red cedar was nominated in 1987 and officially designated in 1988 for British Columbia’s official tree. Cherished species of birds, flowers, and trees are designated as official symbols in the provinces and territories of Canada — only Nunavut lacks an official tree designation as of March 2024. Below is a quick list.

—   Alberta   —

Bird:      Great horned owl
Flower:      Wild rose
Tree:      Lodgepole pine

—   British Columbia   —

Bird:      Stellar’s jay
Flower:      Pacific dogwood
Tree:      Western red cedar

—   Manitoba   —

Bird:      Great grey owl
Flower:      Prairie crocus
Tree:      White spruce

—   New Brunswick   —

Bird:      Black-capped chickadee
Flower:      Purple violet
Tree:      Balsam fir

—   Newfoundland and Labrador   —

Bird:      Atlantic Puffin
Flower:      Pitcher plant
Tree:      Black spruce

—   Northwest Territories   —

Bird:      Gyrfalcon
Flower:      Mountain avens
Tree:      Tamarack

—   Nova Scotia   —

Bird:      Osprey
Flower:      Mayflower
Tree:      Red spruce

—   Nunavut   —

Bird:      Rock ptarmigan
Flower:      Purple saxifrage
Tree:      There is not an official tree specified as of March 2024, although the Tree Canada organization suggests the Arctic willow and balsam poplar are suitable possibilities.

—   Ontario   —

Bird:      Common loon
Flower:      White trillium
Tree:      Eastern white pine

—   Prince Edward Island   —

Bird:      Blue jay
Flower:      Lady’s slipper
Tree:      Red oak

—   Québec   —

Bird:      snowy owl
Flower:      Blue flag iris
Tree:      Yellow birch

—   Saskatchewan   —

Bird:      Sharp-tailed grouse
Flower:      Western red lily
Tree:      White birch

—   Yukon   —

Bird:      Common raven
Flower:      Fireweed
Tree:      Subalpine fir