A Guide to Growing Easter Lilies

The Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) is a trumpet-shaped perennial flower native to the Ryukyu Islands in Japan that was brought to Western nations in the 1800s. At that point, the United States' supply largely came from Bermuda, developing the common name Bermuda Lily.

The Easter lily’s white flowers symbolize purity and new life, in connection with spring and the Easter holiday. The fragrant flowers grow to 7 inches but they take approximately three years to reach maturity. The lilies naturally bloom in June and July, though the Easter period they sell for occurs in March or April. As a result, growers strategically schedule the lilies so that they bloom in time for the holiday.

Easter lilies have been grown in the United States for 100 years, but their international history is much longer. They were cultivated for years in China and Japan before Westerners, including Carl Peter Thunberg, brought the flowers to England in 1819.

Japan was the primary exporter of Easter lilies until World War II when the US supply chain was cut off following the events of Pearl Harbor. A narrow coastal region—running from Point St. George, California to Brookings-Harbor, Oregon—began growing the trumpet-shaped flowers. Today, less than a dozen family farms in the region produce 95% of the world’s Easter lily supply. Easter lilies are the fourth largest potted plant crop in the United States, behind poinsettias, mums, and azaleas.

There are several types of the Easter lily, also known as the Trumpet Lily or Bugle Lily because of its trumpet shape. While most people are aware of the white variation sold in spring, these potted flowers are available in other light colors.

1. 1. ‘Nellie White’: ‘Nellie White’ is named for the wife of James White, a grower who cultivates a significant amount of the Easter lily crop in the United States.
2. 2. ‘Deliana’: These blossoms have a creamy, yellow coloring.
3. 3. ‘Elegant Lady’: Sometimes sold as ‘Pink Easter Lily’, this cultivar has a blush-pink hue to the petals.
4. 4. ‘Snow Queen’: These flowers have traditional white blossoms.
5. 5. ‘Triumphator’: This option has white blossoms and rose-pink throats.
6. 6. ‘White Heaven’: True to their name, these are pure white lilies.

Potted plant Easter lilies are always forced out of their natural growth cycle so they bloom during a different time of year, such as the Easter season in spring. Lilies naturally bloom during early summer in June and July.

1. 1. Check the roots. If the plant appears “root-bound,” loosen the roots before planting. Root-bound means the roots of a flower bulb are in a tangled mass, which doesn’t allow the space to grow.
2. 2. Plant after the danger of frost has passed. Plant in an area that receives full sun in the warmer months and has well-drained soil. The farms in California and Oregon utilize soil that is mostly clay and gravel that’s broken up by organic matter.
3. 3. Spread out the bulbs. Place the bulbs 12 to 18 inches apart and approximately 3 inches deep.
4. 4. Use mulch to keep the soil cool. Place a layer of mulch around the plants to insulate the soil and keep it cooler. The mulch should be organic, such as shredded bark, pine straw, or living mulch. However, it should be removed in the spring to allow new shoots to grow. Alternatively, plant a low ground cover of shallow-rooted annuals and perennials between the lilies. This will also cover the ground, keeping it cooler.
5. 5. Check for anthers. Carefully remove yellow anthers from blooms to help them last longer.
6. 6. Propagate. Propagation is another planting option. Easter lilies can be propagated in the late summer or fall after blooming—by seed or division of the bulbs—using scales that have been separated or the small bulblets. Much like seeds, scales and bulblets take two to three years to reach maturity.

Easter lily care is fairly routine. Here are a few tips to care for an Easter lily:

• Pick the best plant: When buying a potted Easter lily, seek a plant that’s approximately twice as tall as the pot, and has plenty of deep green leaves. Avoid plants with wilted or crinkled leaves, or dark spots. Potted plants with one or two open flowers and plenty of developing buds are best. A mature bulk produces stems with 12 to 15 blooms per plant.
• Check your plant: When choosing any plant to bring home, always check for signs of insects, webbing, or holes in leaves before purchasing.
• Bring your plant home: Before planting, keep your Easter lilies near bright light and in cool temperatures, where they won’t be hit with any drafts or blasts of heat. Flowers will last the longest in 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and 55 to 60 degrees at night.
  
• Water your plants: Keep the soil moist without letting the flower sit in water. Too much water can cause Easter lily bulbs to rot.
• Deadhead your Easter lily bulbs: Be sure to deadhead, or cut off the flowering portion of the stalk.
• Use fertilizer when not in bloom: In the fall, work bulb fertilizer into the soil, being careful not to disturb the roots. In the spring, use regular fertilizer when growth appears, but stop adding once they bloom.
• Check for pests: Pests are uncommon, but aphids may infest the Easter lilies.
• Keep as an indoor plant: Easter lilies can survive winter in pots outdoors in hardiness zones 7 and higher. However, if in a colder area, move containers indoors for winter while allowing the soil to dry so the bulbs stay dormant, before watering in spring to kickstart growth.

While Easter lily plants are not poisonous for dogs, they are for cats. If a cat consumes even small amounts of Easter lilies, they could have potentially fatal kidney failure. Symptoms that a cat needs medical attention include vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, and kidney failure. To be effective, the animal needs to see a veterinarian within 18 hours of ingestion.

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