Godfrey's spiderlily, Hymenocallis godfreyi, is one of the Florida endangered plants given to us by Bok Tower Gardens. It was the first of the Bok plants to bloom last year and we have been eagerly waiting to see if it will bloom this year. This is one of the plants that the garden critter targeted, it would dig them out, we would replant, etc. Of the original 5 plants, two remained for this year and now it is BLOOMING BEAUTIFULLY!
In nature only 2 populations of Godfrey's spiderlily have been discovered, both on protected areas in Wakulla County in the Panhandle. The source sheet lists it as growing in salt marshes and flowering March to May, if marshes have been burned in the winter. We have managed to get it to grow and bloom in our garden, neither a salt marsh nor an area that has been burned.
The plant is similar in appearance to our local Alligator spiderlily, Hymenocallis palmeri with a white flower with 6 large segments radiating outward. However, the flower of Hymenocallis godfreyi has green stripes on the underside of the segments. Leaves are yellow-green.
It is definitely worth a trip to Cedar Point to see this flower.
References:
Florida Natural Areas Inventory Field Guide to Rare Plants of Florida Online http://www.fnai.org/FieldGuide/pdf/Hymenocallis_henryae.pdf
Flora of North America, Hymenocallis godfreyi
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101677