Species of wild orchids that grow in the United States are featured on a series of stamps to be issued February 21, 2020, by the United States Postal Service. The images are by photographer Jim Fowler; art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps.

Th stamps show Cypripedium californicum, Hexalectris spicata, Cypripedium reginae, Spiranthes odorata, Triphora trianthophoros, Platanthera grandiflora, Cyrtopodium polyphyllum, Calopogon tuberosus, and Platanthera leucophaea. Within the booklet, each stamp design is featured twice. The Wild Orchids stamps will be issued with 10 stamp designs in booklets of 20 and coils of 3,000 and 10,000.

Road Trips Gardeners heading to southern Florida may want to attend the stamp dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. February 21, 2020, in the American Orchid Society Library at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Florida. The stamp dedication ceremony is free and open to the public.

Orchids are beloved by plant experts and casual flower lovers alike for their gorgeous colors, unusual appearance, and delicate features. Part of the largest family of plants on Earth, orchids grow in many climates and thrive under a variety of conditions.There are more than 30,000 species of wild orchids in the world, with more than 100 species native to North America.

Many orchids native to North America are endangered or threatened, making sightings in their natural environment increasingly rare. These striking flowers are native to damp woodlands. Numerous organizations across the country are working to preserve their habitats. Orchids also thrive in cultivated gardens or as houseplants.
(top, left to right): Triphora trianthophoros, Cypripedium californicum, Hexalectris spicata, Cypripedium reginae, Spiranthes odorata
(bottom, left to right): Platanthera leucophaea, Triphora trianthophoros, Platanthera grandiflora, Cyrtopodium polyphyllum, Calopogon tuberosus

(Images courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service)