If you've been paying any attention at all to the world of movies and books in the last several years, you know whom Harry Potter, the boy wizard and star of J.K. Rowling's acclaimed series of books, is. The magic of Harry Potter is so pervasive that it has even entered the world of flowers



in the name of a new species of flower found in Ecuador. The name of this new flower is Macrocarpaea Apparata. It's name comes from the term "apparate," which is used throughout the Harry Potter series to describe wizards disappearing from one place and reappearing in another.

Central to the discovery of this new flower was Lena Struwe, an assistant professor of ecology, evolution, and natural resources at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey. Struwe's choice of the name and its connection to the world of Harry Potter wasn't an accident. She is, in

fact, a fan of the young wizard. The flower was so named because the discovering team conducted quite a search of the Ecuadorian mountains in search of one of these plants bearing flowers so that they could make a definite determination that this was, indeed, a new species. After searching for hours, a tall plant with yellowish-white, bell-shaped flowers appeared almost magically—they almost

seemed to apparate.

Now, while the discovery of a new flower species is an exciting event, the magic that flowers hold really comes as no mystery to those of us in the flower industry. Flowers hold the power to cheer up a sick friend, congratulate a new mother, bring joy to someone who is lonely, and say "I love you" to a spouse.

Over the many years I've been in the flower industry, I've had the opportunity to create flowers for every holiday, special occasion, and event you can imagine—and probably even some you can't! One of the most rewarding things about being a florist is the warmth with which a floral delivery is always received. Even in times of grief, such as funerals or serious illness, flowers bring a measure of happiness and are greeted by a feeling of gratitude. Flowers have brought magic to my life and they make me feel a bit like Harry Potter myself when I see a smile suddenly appear.