Flowers have long been shown on postage stamps. The vibrant colours and exquisite structure of individual species is determined by their own unique natural environment. Countries throughout the world showcase their national floral emblems on postage stamps. The Royal Bluebell was announced as the national flower for the Australian Capital Territory in 1982 and a postage stamp featuring this delicate flower was released in August, 1986. Wattle first appeared on a penny red Australian stamp issued in December, 1913 and also featured an image of King George V. The Royal visit to Australia in 1963 was commemorated with the issue of two stamps which included images of both the wattle and the rose. In 1959-60, a set of stamps featuring Australian native flowers was issued. The two shilling stamp featured wattle and this golden wattle was repeated on a five cent stamp issued in April, 1970.
In 1851, the floral emblem of Nova Scotia, the mayflower, replaced two roses which had originally appeared on New Brunswick stamps. The ownership of the mayflower as native to their nation dictated the replacement procedure.
In March 2005, the United States of America released four 37cent stamps honouring the iris, hyacinth, tulip and daffodil. The postage stamps truly dramatised the gorgeous blooms with the light pastel colours giving a hint of the summer to come. Although not native to the nation, these introduced species are enormously popular and well loved by the American public.
Proteas were adopted by Hawaii and images depicted on postage stamps released in August 2005. Although this species originated in South Africa and Australia, its abundance and prolific growth in the Hawaiian environment has ensured its future in that country. The two dollar stamp features the ‘Hawaii Gold’, the five dollar has an image of the Prince Protea and the eight dollar stamp shows the King Protea. These postage stamps were released as individual stamps and also as a mini-sheet which features all three of the flowers.
New Zealand released a set of stamps featuring the roses which grow abundantly in their tiny Pacific Nation. To celebrate the World Rose Convention in Hamilton, home of the nation’s most popular rose garden, three stamps were released in 1971. They were a two cent, five cent and eight cent – featuring the Tiffany, Peace and Chrysler Imperial varieties of roses.
Australia is set to release a set of ‘roses’ stamps in 2007 in time to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Flowers truly do bloom on postage stamps and it seems that the reasons they are portrayed are as varied as the species they represent.
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stamp collection to purchase.
