# 5357 - 2019 First-Class Forever Stamp - Cactus Flower: Echinocactus horizonthalonius
US #5357
2019 Echinocactus Horizonthalonius – Cactus Flowers
- Pictures an eagle’s claw cactus in bloom
- Part of the set of 10 stamps celebrating the beauty of cactus flowers
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Cactus Flowers
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: February 15, 2019
First Day City: Mesa, Arizona
Quantity Issued: 400,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Double-sided booklet of 20
Tagging: Phosphor tagged paper, block tag
Why the stamp was issued: To showcase the many colors, shapes, and sizes of flowers different cactus species produce.
About the stamp design: Pictures an existing photograph by John P. Schaefer of an eagle’s claw cactus (Echinocactus horizonthalonius) in bloom.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Mesa, Arizona, at the AmeriStamp Expo/ARIPEX stamp show. Arizona is home to many cactus species.
About the Cactus Flowers set: Made up of 10 stamp designs, all picturing existing photographs by John P. Schaefer of different cacti species in bloom. The species pictured include: Opuntia engelmannii (Engelmann’s prickly pear cactus), Rebutia minuscula (fire crown cactus), Echinocereus dasyacanthus (Texas rainbow cactus), Echinocereus poselgeri (Dahlia cactus), Echinocereus coccineus (Scarlet hedgehog cactus), Pelecyphora aselliformis (hatchet cactus), Parodia microsperma (golden Tom Thumb cactus), Echinocactus horizonthalonius (eagle’s claw cactus), Thelocactus heterochromus (glory of Texas cactus), and Parodia scopa (silver ball cactus).
History the stamp represents: Nearly all species of cactus grow spines of some kind. Some are long and flexible while others might be short and prickly. No matter what type of thorns are present, it pays to be careful around these formidable plants.
One species of cactus that is especially good at defending itself is Echinocactus horizonthalonius. This plant has many different common names, each more fierce sounding than the last – eagle’s claw, devil’s head, horse crippler, and more. These names reference the cactus’s brutal-looking spines that can measure up to two inches long. In fact, sometimes on smaller cacti, the spines are so long that they overlap one another, forming a seemingly impenetrable cage around the rest of the plant.
The eagle’s claw cactus is native to the Southwest United States and northern Mexico. It is a pale green-blue, relatively round, and can grow to over 17 inches tall. Unlike most cacti, the ribs of the eagle’s claw twist around the body of the plant instead of growing straight up and down. This species can be grown indoors but must receive a lot of sunlight. From March to May, the cactus produces large bright pink flowers. Despite its normally intimidating appearance, the eagle’s claw is one of the most beautiful sites in the springtime desert.
US #5357
2019 Echinocactus Horizonthalonius – Cactus Flowers
- Pictures an eagle’s claw cactus in bloom
- Part of the set of 10 stamps celebrating the beauty of cactus flowers
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Cactus Flowers
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: February 15, 2019
First Day City: Mesa, Arizona
Quantity Issued: 400,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Double-sided booklet of 20
Tagging: Phosphor tagged paper, block tag
Why the stamp was issued: To showcase the many colors, shapes, and sizes of flowers different cactus species produce.
About the stamp design: Pictures an existing photograph by John P. Schaefer of an eagle’s claw cactus (Echinocactus horizonthalonius) in bloom.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Mesa, Arizona, at the AmeriStamp Expo/ARIPEX stamp show. Arizona is home to many cactus species.
About the Cactus Flowers set: Made up of 10 stamp designs, all picturing existing photographs by John P. Schaefer of different cacti species in bloom. The species pictured include: Opuntia engelmannii (Engelmann’s prickly pear cactus), Rebutia minuscula (fire crown cactus), Echinocereus dasyacanthus (Texas rainbow cactus), Echinocereus poselgeri (Dahlia cactus), Echinocereus coccineus (Scarlet hedgehog cactus), Pelecyphora aselliformis (hatchet cactus), Parodia microsperma (golden Tom Thumb cactus), Echinocactus horizonthalonius (eagle’s claw cactus), Thelocactus heterochromus (glory of Texas cactus), and Parodia scopa (silver ball cactus).
History the stamp represents: Nearly all species of cactus grow spines of some kind. Some are long and flexible while others might be short and prickly. No matter what type of thorns are present, it pays to be careful around these formidable plants.
One species of cactus that is especially good at defending itself is Echinocactus horizonthalonius. This plant has many different common names, each more fierce sounding than the last – eagle’s claw, devil’s head, horse crippler, and more. These names reference the cactus’s brutal-looking spines that can measure up to two inches long. In fact, sometimes on smaller cacti, the spines are so long that they overlap one another, forming a seemingly impenetrable cage around the rest of the plant.
The eagle’s claw cactus is native to the Southwest United States and northern Mexico. It is a pale green-blue, relatively round, and can grow to over 17 inches tall. Unlike most cacti, the ribs of the eagle’s claw twist around the body of the plant instead of growing straight up and down. This species can be grown indoors but must receive a lot of sunlight. From March to May, the cactus produces large bright pink flowers. Despite its normally intimidating appearance, the eagle’s claw is one of the most beautiful sites in the springtime desert.