Canada Post launches Fascinating Fungi stamp series

Canada Post just released a delightful set of stamps celebrating five fascinating fungi and lichens found across Canada, designed by Jocelyne Saulnier with gorgeous illustrations by Emily S. Damstra. The stamps, issued in August 2025, highlight not only the beauty but also the ecological importance of these mysterious organisms.

Meet the Fungi Stamp Stars

The new stamp collection features vibrant, botanically styled illustrations of five species:

• Star-tipped reindeer lichen (Cladonia stellaris): These iconic lichens flourish in every province and territory, especially across the North.
• Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus): A shell-shaped edible species with a rich history in Indigenous diets and modern kitchens.
• Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus): Recognized for their vivid orange shelves, some Indigenous Peoples traditionally used them for softening buckskin.
• Tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius): Tough and woody, it was historically vital as tinder and for First Nations crafts.
• Rhizophagus irregularis: A microscopic root-dweller, it boosts farming by enriching soil, though it’s barely visible to the naked eye.

Artistic Minds Behind the Magic

The stamps were designed by Jocelyne Saulnier and illustrated by Emily S. Damstra. Saulnier’s thoughtful layout harmonizes scientific accuracy with whimsical charm, while Damstra’s illustrations capture each fungus’s unique textures, colors, and character.

Why Fungi Matter

Canada Post’s release is more than eye candy — it's a celebration of fungi’s essential roles:

• Supporting plant survival and growth by forming symbiotic relationships.
• Breaking down dead material and recycling nutrients into the ecosystem.
• Storing carbon and helping clean pollutants, such as plastics and chemicals.
• Providing Indigenous communities with medicine, pigments, food, and materials through history.

With these new stamps, Canada Post invites Canadians to marvel at the wonders hiding underfoot and among the trees — an enchanting and important tribute from coast to coast.