Coral Gables, FL --- The U.S. Postal Service will celebrate the beauty of Wild Orchids in South Florida on Friday, Feb. 21. The First-Day-Of-Issue (FDOI) dedication ceremony, free and open to the public, will take place at 11 a.m. at the American Orchid Society Library at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156. 

News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtags #OrchidStamps and #FlowerStamps. Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/wildorchids.

Each stamp features a photograph of one of these nine species: 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.

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 and numerous organizations across the country are working to preserve their habitats. Orchids also thrive in cultivated gardens or as houseplants.

Wild Orchid Forever stamps will be available at local Post Offices on Feb. 21. Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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