Harper's Beauty - Harperocallis flava

Harper's beauty (Harperocallis flava) is rare endemic wildflower vouchered from only 3 counties in the Apalachicola National Forest region of the Florida Panhandle.  These photos come courtesy of my friend Lily Byrd and are used with permission.  It is found in open wet habitats in this region - bogs, pitcher plant wet prairies and wet savannas.  It was first described in 1965 by a graduate student at FSU, Sidney McDaniel, and placed in its own genus - a name in honor of Roland Harper and with a suffix meaning beautiful.  Harper's beauty is definitely beautiful, but easily overlooked when not in bloom.

It is an upright perennial herb that dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges in spring. It eventually reaches a mature height of 2 feet by April on thin stems with narrow leaves 4-8 inches in length.  The basal leaves superficially resemble those of an iris.  A single bright yellow flower is produced atop a thin nearly-leafless stalk by late April to May.  Each is composed of 6 petals - actually "tepals" as the 3 sepals look identical to the 3 petals.  These surround the reproductive parts - 6 stamens and 3 carpals.  The flowers are visited by a variety of pollinating insects.

Harper's beauty has never been offered for sale commercially to the best of my knowledge by any native plant nursery in Florida. Its rarity within the wetlands of Apalachicola National Forest and its strict growing requirements make a very poor choice for commercial propagation for home landscapes.  Look for it if you are visiting ANF in the late spring and appreciate it for what it is.