Plant Spotlight

PLANT SPOTLIGHT Lilium iridollae Henry Panhandle Lily Lily Family — Liliaceae Groundcover

Nodding Panhandle lily flowers. Photos by Elizabeth Shadle.

Description Panhandle lily is a herbaceous perennial with tall stems reaching 4 - 6 feet tall, often growing above other groundcover to reach sunlight. The stems are lined with lance-shaped leaves 2 - 3.5 inches long. Leaves are whorled at mid-stem, with leaves above and below growing in an alternate pattern. The Panhandle lily flowers from July to mid-August and has little to no fragrance. The yellowish-orange flowers occur at the top of the stem, nodding downward; the sharply curved petals have distinct brown spots. Each flower has multiple long and slender stamens with brown or red anthers. The fruit is 1 - 2 inches long and shaped as oval capsules. These plants are slow-growing and may take over two years from seed to flower.

Distribution & Habitat Panhandle lilies can be found growing near longleaf sites high in soil moisture, such as pine flatwoods, swamps, baygalls, and bogs. These rare flowers mainly inhabit the sides of small streams and seepage slopes. This perennial herb is endemic to the western Florida Panhandle and two counties in nearby Alabama.

Conservation Status Panhandle lily is listed as a vulnerable species in Florida, critically imperiled in Alabama, and under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. This plant is threatened by human mismanagement, such as over-development, filling of streams and bogs, and fire suppression. This rare species of lily is closely related to the Turk’s cap lily (Lilium superbum) and the Carolina lily (Lilium michauxii).

Wildlife Value The nectar of the Panhandle lily is attractive to pollinators. Butterflies and bees are all known to visit this plant when flowering. Most notably, swallowtail butterflies are the primary pollinators of the Panhandle lily. The fruit capsules contain up to hundreds of seeds.

Discovery Highlights This rare plant was first discovered in 1940 by the famous American botanist and plant collector Mary Henry. It is documented that Mary named the Panhandle lily originally the Potof-Gold Lily in reference to the common saying “a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

References Chafin, L. G. 2000. Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida.

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. Keener B.R., Diamond A.R., Davenport L.J., Davison P.G.,

Ginzbarg S.L., Hansen C.J., Major C.S., Spaulding

D.D., Triplett J.K., and Woods M. 2021. Alabama Plant

Atlas. NatureServe. 2021. NatureServe Explorer [web application].

NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. (explorer.natureserve.org, Accessed: November 15, 2021).