Add floral style to your letters with these stunning vintage unused American Wildflower series "Bearberry" postage stamps! This classic botanical design is perfect for adding timeless beauty to your save-the-dates, wedding invitations, thank you cards, shower invites, birth announcements, and other snail mail correspondence. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 29-cents. These authentic USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your mailing. Deliver floral elegance with this exquisite vintage postage stamp!

Purchase includes a total of TEN (10) mint condition postage stamps shown in the product listing photos.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Bearberry
• Series: American Wildflower
• Year Issued: 1992
• Face Value: 29-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Plants, Flowers, Wildflowers, Flora, Botanical
• Color(s): Green, Red, Black, Multicolored
• Mailing Occasions: Wedding Invitations, Save the Date Announcements, Shower Invitations, Birth Announcements, Thank You Cards, Valentine’s Day, Snail Mail, and more…
• Printing Method: Offset Press and Lithography
• Scott Number: 2687
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use an adequate amount of additional postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates on the USPS website.

STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: On July 24, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, the USPS issued a set of 29-cent stamps honoring 50 of the most popular varieties of wildflowers that grow across the United States. Each of the species featured on these lovely stamps is native to North America and can be found today in at least one of the 50 states. The Bearberry stamp features Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, a low-growing evergreen shrub native to northern forests and alpine regions. The design presents a close-up view of the plant’s delicate, urn-shaped white to pale pink blossoms clustered along reddish stems, accompanied by its glossy, dark green oval leaves. In many examples of the artwork, the plant’s bright red berries—an important food source for wildlife and the origin of its common name—add contrast and seasonal character. The clean, light background emphasizes the plant’s intricate floral structure and subtle color shifts, allowing the botanical details to stand out with scientific accuracy and artistic refinement.

FLOWER DESCRIPTION: The Bearberry wildflower (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), also commonly called "kinnikinnick", is a low-growing, evergreen shrub native to northern forests, alpine slopes, and sandy or rocky soils across North America, Europe, and Asia. Rather than growing upright like many flowering plants, Bearberry spreads horizontally, forming dense mats that hug the ground. In Spring, the plant produces clusters of small, urn-shaped blossoms that hang delicately from short reddish stems. The flowers are typically white to pale pink, with smooth, waxy petals fused into a tiny bell-like form. Though modest in size—usually less than half an inch long—the blossoms are refined and symmetrical, adding subtle charm to the plant’s otherwise rugged appearance.

The foliage consists of small, thick, oval leaves that are dark green and glossy on the surface. Because the plant is evergreen, these leaves remain through winter, often taking on a reddish tint in colder months. After flowering, Bearberry develops bright red berries, which persist into fall and provide food for birds and mammals—hence the common name, as bears are known to eat the fruit. Typically growing only 2 to 8 inches tall, Bearberry thrives in harsh environments where many other plants struggle. It is drought-tolerant, cold-hardy, and well adapted to nutrient-poor soils. Its creeping growth habit helps stabilize sandy or sloped terrain, making it ecologically valuable in preventing erosion.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: As a low-growing evergreen that thrives in harsh northern climates, rocky soils, and alpine environments, Bearberry symbolizes resilience without display—a form of spiritual stamina that does not seek attention yet persists through extremes. Its delicate, urn-shaped blossoms—soft white to pale pink—carry symbolism of gentle containment and inner sanctity. The enclosed shape of the flower suggests guarded wisdom and protected vulnerability: beauty that reveals itself carefully rather than openly. This makes Bearberry a spiritual emblem of healthy boundaries and self-preservation, reminding us that strength often lies in restraint.

The plant’s evergreen leaves reinforce themes of continuity and constancy. In many traditions, evergreen plants represent eternal life or spiritual persistence through seasonal change. Bearberry remains green even in cold climates, symbolizing faithfulness and grounded endurance when outer conditions are barren. Its bright red berries, long valued as food for wildlife (and historically used by Indigenous peoples), add another layer of meaning—sustenance and reciprocity. Spiritually, this reflects the idea that true strength supports others quietly and reliably.

STAMP SERIES HISTORY: The 1992 American Wildflower postage stamp series was a commemorative issue featuring a pane of 50 different 29-cent stamps, with each stamp displaying a unique watercolor illustration of a native U.S. wildflower. The series was released on July 24, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, to coincide with the AmeriFlora '92 international exposition. Alaska-based watercolor artist Karen Mallary designed the artwork and selected the 50 distinct flowers featured in the collection, with at least one stamp/flower representing each of the 50 states. The U.S. Postal Service described the 1992 American Wildflower series as carrying a message of "natural grace and beauty". In dedicating the pane of 50 different stamps, Assistant Postmaster General Gordon Morison stated they would "blanket the postal landscape" and carry the message that "our nation's wildflowers add natural grace and beauty to our lives".

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

PROCESSING & SHIPPING: Orders are typically processed and shipped within 1-3 business days of placing your order. All orders are shipped from California — please allow additional time for transit.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special event? Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services…

VISIT MY MINTED STORE: https://www.minted.com/store/heritageposthouse

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: This product description text and product photos are copyrighted by Heritage Post House – All Rights Reserved


Product Specifications

Length: 1.57 in.
Height: 0.01 in.
Width: 0.98 in.
Weight: 0.01 lbs.