Vintage Unused Hydrangea Flower Stamps (The Seasonal Garden), USPS Postage 32c

Product Description

• Minimum Quantity: 10 (buy more and save)
• Vintage Unused/Uncanceled U.S. Postage Stamp
• Hydrangea, Flower, The Seasonal Garden, Blue/Light Blue/Green, Multicolored
• Topic: Flowers, Gardening, Nature, Seasons, Fall, Fall Garden Flowers
• Size: 1¾ x 1 inches (approx.)
• Condition: mint, unused/uncanceled
• Adhesive Type: gummed
• Face Value: 32 cents each (USD)

Flower Information

Hydrangeas didn't reach Europe until 1736, when a North American variety was brought to England by a colonist. The name hydrangea comes from the Greek words hydros meaning water and angos meaning jar or vessel, referencing the flower's need for frequent watering. The meaning of hydrangeas varies across cultures. In Japan, they represent gratitude or apology, while in Europe they have been associated with vanity and arrogance. Victorians used to send blue hydrangeas to rejected love interests.

The flower color of some hydrangeas, like the bigleaf hydrangea, can be changed by adjusting the soil's pH. Acidic soil (pH below 7) produces blue to purple flowers, while alkaline soil (pH above 7) produces pink or red flowers. ToxicityHydrangeas are poisonous, and the leaves release cyanide if ingested. It's recommended to keep the plant away from pets and children.

Stamp History

Illustrated for the United States Postal Service (USPS) by Ned Seidler, this stamp is part of the The Seasonal Garden series. In 1992, the USPS issued a pane of 50 stamps, each depicting a different American wildflower. This series proved to be so popular that the USPS followed up with a colorful stamp booklet for each season honoring American garden flowers. Starting with the spring issue, the booklets were produced from 1993 to 1996. The artwork for each of these beautiful garden scenes depicts five seasonal flowers clustered together in bouquet format. 

"Hydrangea" is one of five stamps in the Fall Garden Flowers series that was released on May 15, 1993. The selected fall blooms were the aster, chrysanthemum, dahlia, hydrangea, and the rudbeckia. Including hydrangea as a fall flowering plant illustrates the difficulty of seasonal categories, since this flower is sometimes regarded as a late spring or summer bloom. Unlike the other seasonal issues, here the artist allowed for space between the individual flowers.

Stamp History Courtesy of Smithsonian National Postal Museum