Easter lily's remarkable story

In spite of the fact they are marketed only during a 2-week period that varies in occurrence each spring, Easter lily ranks as the fourth most popular potted plant in the United States. This year, Americans and Canadians are expected to purchase more than 12 million of these exquisite plants that serve as a source of both beauty and inspiration. Easter lily’s pristine white flowers symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life–the spiritual essence of Easter. Long a symbol of the resurrection of life, lilies have played significant roles throughout history in tales concerning the sacrament of motherhood. Ancient fables relate that lilies sprang from milk of Hera, the mythical Queen of Heaven. Other legend has it that when Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden, lilies sprang up where Eve’s tears of repentance struck the ground. Early paintings depict the Angel Gabriel extending to the Virgin Mary a branch of pure white lilies, announcing she is to be the mother of the Christ Child. Whatever its symbolism, the fact is that lilies will grace millions of homes and churches this year as a beautiful reminder that Easter is a time for rejoicing and celebrating.

In spite of its religious significance and historical meaning, the modern Easter lily is a relative newcomer to the plant world and we have the military to thank for it. The Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) is native to the southern islands of Japan. In the 1880s it was shipped from Japan to Bermuda where it was widely grown and took on the common name of Bermuda Lily. The Japanese continued to produce bulbs and remained a world supplier of them for decades. A World War I soldier by the name of Louis Houghton brought a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs back home to the southern coast of Oregon where he gave them to family and friends. The climate there was ideal for growing this lily because of its similarity to the plant’s native habitat. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Japanese source of bulbs was cut off from the West. As a result, the value of lily bulbs skyrocketed and many individuals who had been growing lilies as a hobby decided to go into business. By 1945 no fewer than 1,200 West Coast growers were producing bulbs (referred to then as "White Gold," for obvious reasons) for the commercial market. Today that area of the United States grows 95% of all of the bulbs grown in the entire world.

The journey from propagation to bloom is not an easy one for the Easter lily. The bulbs themselves require 2 years to reach saleable maturity and are handled as many as 40 times before finally being shipped for greenhouse forcing. When they arrive at the greenhouses, growers there must carefully determine when to plant and start the forcing process. The latter is made more difficult because Easter varies in date from year to year. Since the marketing of Easter lilies occurs only for about 2 weeks prior to Easter and since lily blooms are short- lived by nature, there is very, very little margin for error in production timing. Typically, bulbs are shipped to greenhouses by mid-October each year. Either while in the case or after having been potted, the bulbs are exposed to cool temperatures (a process called vernalization). The length of time vernalized is inversely proportional to both days to bloom and total number of flowers per bulb. For example, with no vernalization bulbs require about 196 days to flower but produce, on the average, 10 flowers per bulb. Conversely, bulbs vernalized for 11 weeks will flower in only 98 days but produce only 4.4 flowers per bulb. Most modern production recommendations call for between 4 and 6 weeks of vernalization with subsequent placement in the greenhouse the first part of December.

When purchasing an Easter lily, look for a plant that has blossoms in various stages of development. Lily flowers open at (about) 2-day intervals from the bottommost to the topmost. Plants that have all their flowers fully open when purchased will not provide a floral display as long as ones that have just started to open their oldest (bottommost) flowers. Also, choose plants whose foliage is dense and a rich green color. Beware of plants that have lost their lower leaves or have yellowish-brown leaf tips. This usually signals root loss and other problems that will shorten the life of the plant. Place your lily in bright, indirect light in your home and keep it cool. Daytime temperatures between 60 and 65 degree F are ideal for prolonging the bloom period of your plant. The plant should be watered only when the growing medium feels dry to the touch, being careful not to overwater. Remember to collect and discard the drainage water from the pot. Pots left sitting in saucers that have collected drainage water will be “bottom irrigated” until the saucer is dry. This usually results in the plant showing symptoms of being overwatered. To prolong the life of individual blossoms, one can remove the golden yellow anthers (pollen- containing “pods”) found in the center of the flower. This should be done just as the flower begins to open and before it has had the chance to be pollinated. Old flowers should be promptly removed once they start to wither.

The question of what to do with an Easter lily after it has finished flowering is a good one. Most plant lovers abhor the thought of throwing a plant away. Since the Easter lily does not survive as a house plant, planting it outdoors is the only option available. Select a bright, sunny spot in the garden; amend the soil with organic matter if it is not porous and well-drained. Remove the plant from the container in which it was purchased and gently loosen the root system (it likely will be quite constricted). Plant the lily with the bulb several inches deeper than it had been in the container. Lilies develop what are called “stem roots” which are very important to their growth. For the remainder of the growing season, water the plant thoroughly and fertilize with a general-purpose garden fertilizer. Do not be alarmed if the top of the plant withers soon after planting. New shoots often emerge that may lead to flowers later in the summer. If not, the plant should flower naturally the following June. Since Easter lilies are only marginally winter hardy, you can improve your lily’s chance of survival by mulching it with at least 4 inches of leaf mulch or straw in late fall.

Few plants are as symbolic to an event as the Easter lily is to Easter. As the saying goes, “To gild a lily is to attempt, foolishly, to improve upon perfection.” Proper selection and post-purchase care can provide extended enjoyment for this time-honored plant that excites the senses of sight and smell while it invigorates the soul.

David Trinklein, Extension Floriculture, UMC