Chrysanthemum Postage Stamps | Fall Garden Flowers | Garden Flowers Series | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 32c

Add floral flair to your letters with these stunning vintage unused Garden Flowers series "Fall Garden Flowers: Chrysanthemum" postage stamps! This classic botanical design is perfect for adding a touch of nature’s beauty to your save-the-dates, wedding invitations, thank you cards, shower invites, birth announcements, and other snail mail correspondence. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 32-cents. These authentic USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your mailing. Deliver floral elegance with this exquisite vintage postage stamp!

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Fall Garden Flowers: Chrysanthemum
• Series: Garden Flowers
• Year Issued: 1995
• Face Value: 32-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Flowers, Floral, Botanical, Fragrant, Gardening, Fall, Autumn, Nature
• Color(s): Yellow, Orange, Green, Multicolored
• Mailing Occasions: Wedding Invitations, Save the Date Announcements, Shower Invitations, Birth Announcements, Thank You Cards, Valentine’s Day, Snail Mail, and more…
• Printing Method: Lithographed and engraved
• Scott Number: 2994
• Adhesion Type: Gummed
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: Released on September 19, 1995, in Encinitas, California, the 32-cent "Fall Garden Flowers: Chrysanthemum" postage stamp is part of the USPS Garden Flowers series, a beloved botanical program highlighting familiar ornamental blooms found in American gardens throughout the seasons. T his stamp belongs to the Fall Garden Flowers subset of the Garden Flowers series. The series was created to showcase popular seasonal flowers that thrive in home landscapes, emphasizing both their visual appeal and their role in marking the rhythms of the year. Chrysanthemums—often considered the signature flower of fall—were selected for their late-season resilience, vibrant color, and long-standing cultural associations with honor, longevity, and remembrance.

Stamp designer Ethel Kessler’s refined, balanced layout allows the bloom to take center stage, while botanical artist Thomas R. Hipschen brings the chrysanthemum to life with careful attention to form, texture, and color. The stamp features a full chrysanthemum blossom in peak bloom, rendered with dense layers of slender petals radiating from the center. The petals are illustrated in warm autumnal tones, creating a sense of richness and vitality. Subtle shading adds depth and dimension, emphasizing the flower’s intricate structure, while a soft, neutral background keeps the focus squarely on the bloom. The composition feels both abundant and orderly—capturing the chrysanthemum’s distinctive balance of complexity and composure.

FLOWER INFORMATION: Chrysanthemums have a history that is as colorful as the flowers themselves. First cultivated centuries ago in China, the chrysanthemum was used primarily as a culinary herb. Its petals and young shoots found their way to the table in salads; its flowers and leaves were taken and brewed into teas. The Japanese subsequently adopted the flower and were so enamored with it that they gave it the status of royalty. The flower is used on the Emperor’s official seal and crest, and the highest level of decoration that can be awarded to an individual for distinguished service to the nation is the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum. The Japanese have a National Chrysanthemum Day, the Festival of Happiness, which is one of five ancient festival days in the country. Kiku is the Japanese word for chrysanthemum.

The chrysanthemum was introduced into European culture in the 17th century. Some European countries gave the flower a markedly different meaning, adopting it as a symbol of death, using it for funerals and graves. The name chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum) is derived from the Greek “chryos” meaning gold and “anthemon” meaning flower. Early depictions of chrysanthemums show them as small, yellow, daisy-like flowers. Chrysanthemums belong to the Asteraceae or daisy family. It is one of the largest families in the botanical world. In evolutionary terms, it is considered one of the more advanced families because of its complex flower structure. Members of this family include chrysanthemums, asters (Aster), coneflowers (Echinacea) and zinnias (Zinnia).

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: Across many cultures—especially in East Asia—the chrysanthemum has long symbolized a life well-lived, embodying wisdom earned over time, moral clarity, and serenity in the face of change. Spiritually, the chrysanthemum’s many finely layered petals radiating from a calm center represent harmony between complexity and order. This structure reflects the idea that a centered spirit can hold many responsibilities, emotions, and experiences without losing equilibrium. The flower’s ability to bloom late in the year further reinforces symbolism of endurance and quiet strength, flourishing when conditions are cooler and more demanding.

STAMP SERIES HISTORY: Part of the Garden Flowers series, the Fall Garden Flowers postage stamps were released on September 19, 1995 at the Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, California. The selected fall blooms were the aster, chrysanthemum, dahlia, hydrangea, and the rudbeckia. The Garden Flowers series is a long-running floral theme issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS), created to celebrate the beauty, familiarity, and emotional resonance of flowers commonly found in American gardens. Spanning multiple issues and denominations from the late 20th century into the early 21st century, the series reflects USPS’s enduring commitment to botanical art as a bridge between fine design and everyday life. The Garden Flowers series emerged from USPS’s broader effort to feature accessible, nature-based subjects that would appeal to a wide audience. Rather than spotlighting rare or exotic blooms, the series focuses on beloved garden staples—flowers people recognize from backyards, bouquets, and seasonal displays.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use the adequate amount of additional postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates at USPS.com.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special event?  Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services… 

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.

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