The Postal Service dedicated its Dahlias stamps at the Westpex stamp show in Burlingame, CA, on April 26.
The stamps celebrate the beauty of dahlias, which are native to Mexico and Central America.
Dahlias have experienced a resurgence in popularity in the United States and elsewhere. They belong to the Asteraceae family, which also includes sunflowers, zinnias, asters, rudbeckias and daisies.
With around 40 species and more than 50,000 cultivars, dahlias come in almost every shade except blue and black. Forms range from delicate star-shaped blooms to dense, intricate balls of petals with sturdy, hollow stems.
Speakers at the ceremony included Carla Jackson, a California 1 District customer relations manager; Behruz Nassre, Westpex chairman; Scott English, American Philatelic Society executive director; and Julie Lanesey from the Dahlia Society of California.
Trevor Bills of the American Philatelic Society was master of ceremonies.
The stamp art features 10 close-up images of dahlias with pink, white, yellow, magenta and red blossoms.
Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using photographs by Denise Ippolito.
The stamps are available in booklets of 20 and in coils of 3,000 and 10,000 at Post Offices and usps.com.
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