2020 55¢ American Gardens

Value:  55¢ 1-ounce First-class rate (Forever)

Issue Date:  May 13, 2020

First Day City:  Winterthur, DE

Type of Stamp:  Commemorative

Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America

Printing Method:  Offset

Format:  Pane of 20

Self-Adhesive

Quantity Printed:  50,000,000

  Botanical gardens have been around since the 16^th century.  Today, countless examples are found in countries around the world.  These gardens are often open to the public, but their main purpose is to cultivate and learn more about a wide variety of plant species.  Many of these gardens are also involved in conservation and reintroduction programs for endangered species.

In 2020, the United States Postal Service issued a set of new Forever stamps honoring 10 different botanical gardens in America.  They picture:  Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens; Dumbarton Oaks Garden; Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; Chicago Botanic Garden; Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library; Biltmore Estate; Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park; The Huntington; and Norfolk Botanical Garden.  These gardens are dozens – or even hundreds – of acres in size and are filled with smaller gardens specializing in native plants, cacti and succulents, water plants, trees and shrubs, orchids, and much more.  Many are very popular and welcome thousands of visitors each year.

In a world ruled by technology, it can be easy to forget about the beauty and importance of the natural world.  Plants have a big impact on every single one of us, and the many botanical gardens across the United States are a reminder of that.  They give visitors of all backgrounds the chance to see plants with a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.  Hopefully, visitors learn a little about how to be more mindful of humanity’s impact on the natural world.  With the help of botanical gardens, the plants we know and love will be around for generations to come.