Issue 2, May 5, 2021
Easter Lily Care
If you were gifted an Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) in April, you might be wondering what you do with it after it blooms. Often, they are tossed into the trash as a one-hit-wonder, but these lilies have the potential to bloom again in the summer or the late fall, providing the plant and weather cooperates.
Easter lily, also known as the Bermuda lily, is native to the Ryukyu islands of Japan. They were introduced to the U.S. in 1919 by Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, who brought them back in a suitcase for family and friends. He brought them to the west coast, where they are now commercially grown for the potted Easter Lily Market. According to the National Agriculture Statistics Service, the sales of Easter Lilies in Illinois are worth a little over $500,000, a fraction of the 24 million-dollar sales across the United States.
When the Easter lily blooms, the cooler you keep the plant, the longer the flowers will bloom before falling off. Once the first flower blooms, the others generally follow within a week or two. Another way to keep it blooming longer is to remove the pollen sacks immediately. This will also prevent the pollen from staining furniture and clothing. Be sure to cover your fingers with a tissue and then gently twist off the pollen sacs.
If you plan to keep your lily indoors, it should be kept away from drafts and heating sources that will dry the plant. Bright and indirect light is the best with temps 60 – 65 day temperatures. Water the plant only if the soil is dry to touch. Do not overwater as it may cause rot, and the bulbs will turn to mush.
If planting outdoors, be sure to plant it at the same depth as the pot. Water thoroughly and fertilize. Like above, you want to keep this in an area with partial sun/afternoon shade and not in a place where it will remain wet. Be sure not to trim back any of the green, as it provides energy to the bulb.
Easter lily is hardy to USDA Zone 7, which means they most likely won’t make it through the winter, although if protected with mulch and a mild winter, they might come back. Those in Southern Illinois might have more luck keeping them yearly. Should you not want to risk a deep freeze, plant it in a container that can be brought back indoors for the winter.
https://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/nebline/easterlily.shtml
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/floran20.pdf
Author:
Maria Turner