Bonsai Tree Forever Stamps 2012

With these five stamps, the U.S. Postal Service® cele­brates the beauty of bonsai, a horticultural art form that has become quite popular in the United States. The word “bon­sai” is Japanese for “plant in a pot.” It also refers to the practice of cultivating plants — usually trees — in trays, pots, or other containers. One of the common styles of bonsai is depicted on each stamp: (1) a Sierra Juniper in semi-cascade style, (2) a Trident Maple in informal upright style, (3) a Black Pine in formal upright style, (4) an Azalea plant in multiple-trunk style, and (5) a Banyan in cascade style. John Dawson painted the stamp art. Ethel Kessler was the art director.