spring flowers

I am quite fond of this series of Wildflowers of Canada that came out in 1977 and try to collect as many as I can from my stamp dealer to use for Postcrossing

all were designed by Heather Cooper

first up, the 1¢ on far left is the Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii), a perennial herb that grows from one to two feet high. It is a rare flower and only found in damp meadows in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.

the 2¢ is an Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa) is found in western Alberta and British Columbia. It is also a perennial herb found in damp meadows and woodland clearings. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

on the 3¢ is the Canada Lily (Lilium canadense), another damp meadow lover that blooms in eastern Canada. It usually grows between two and five feet high and can have up to twenty flowers.

on the bottom row, we have the 4¢ Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba), sometimes known as the liverleaf, because it was once thought to be useful for healing liver ailments. It is fond of limy soil from the Maritimes to Manitoba.

the 5¢ shows a Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii) which grows from five to eighteen inches tall in woods, mountains and prairies in western Canada.

and, finally there is the Sparrow's Egg Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium passerinum) on the 10¢ stamp. This is one of the few orchids that blooms in the Arctic and can be found from Quebec to Yukon.

see more flowers on this last few days of winter at Sunday Stamps