Master Gardener Corner: Easter Lilies
This article is part of a weekly series published in the Batavia Daily News by Jan Beglinger, Agriculture Outreach Coordinator for CCE of Genesee County.
Master Gardener Corner: Easter Lilies Originally Published: Week of March 22, 2016 Symbolizing purity and new life, the white, fragrant trumpets of the Easter lily (Lilium longiforum) will don many homes and churches this Easter season. Native to the southern islands of Japan and Taiwan, it was discovered in 1777 by Carl Peter Thunberg, the famous plant explorer. In 1853 they arrived in Bermuda, where much of the commercial bulb production was started. A virus destroyed the crop there and in 1898 production moved to Japan, where it continued until the outbreak of World War II. In 1919, Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, brought home a suitcase full of Easter lily bulbs to the southern coast of Oregon. There he gave them out to friends and family. By 1945, bulbs were being grown by 1,200 west coast growers for the commercial market. Today about 95 percent of the world’s Easter lily bulbs are grown along the California and Oregon border where conditions are perfect for them. This area is known as the “Easter Lily Capital of the World.” Only a handful of growers now produce the bulbs. The majority of the lilies grown are of the variety ‘Nellie White’, a selection chosen by grower James White and named for his wife. To achieve those beautiful potted Easter lilies, bulbs are grown for 3 or 4 years out in the field. They are dug up, sorted and replanted each year, until they reach maturity. They are then shipped to commercial greenhouse growers, where they are forced or “tricked” into bloom, just in time for Easter. Careful scheduling is needed to make sure the lilies are ready to bloom during the two week marketing window. When buying an Easter lily, look for a plant that has flowers in various stages of bloom ‐ from buds to partially opened and fully open flowers. Pick plants with dense, green foliage along the entire stem down to the soil line. This indicates a healthy root system. Plants should be well‐proportioned, about two times as high as the pot. Also check the flowers, foliage and buds for signs of insects and disease. Pass on plants that are yellowing, have dark spots on the leaves or crinkled or wilted leaves. Keep your Easter lily away from drafts or drying heat sources. Fairly cool daytime temperatures (60 to 65 degrees F) will prolong the life of the blooms. Bright, indirect light is best. Try to maintain even soil moisture. Water the plant when the soil feels dry to the touch. Do not overwater and do not let the plant sit in water. You can cut off the yellow anthers from the flowers so that shedding pollen will not stain objects it may fall onto. This will also help to prolong the life of the blossoms. Don’t throw your Easter lily away after the holiday. With a little extra care it can be planted out in the garden. Once the plant is done blooming, move it to a sunny window. Pinch off the faded flowers but do not cut down the stalk or cut off any foliage. Keep the plant green and healthy for as long as possible. Just like other bulbs, the foliage helps produce next year’s flower. After the foliage begins to turn yellow, then you can cut it back.
In the garden, select a sunny site with well‐drained soil as they will not survive poorly drained soils. Lilies prefer the upper part of the plant in full sun with their roots in the shade. Mulching around the plants will help keep the roots cool. Potted plants may be planted after danger of frost has passed in the spring. Plant the bulbs 3 to 6 inches deep and about 12 inches apart. Lilies look best when planted in groups of three or five rather than one on its own. When grown in the garden, Easter lilies will bloom in July, when other lilies are in bloom. The white trumpet‐ shaped flowers are exceptionally showy in the summer garden. Cut off the spent flowers, but leave the stem and leaves. Once the stem has died back you can cut it off at the soil surface. For extra winter protection, add mulch to the soil surface after it freezes in late fall. Do not remove the mulch until new growth begins in the spring. Until recently lilies were relatively care free. But now we have to contend with a new pest, the brilliant red Lily Leaf Beetle (Lilioceris lilii). A native insect of Europe, it has become a widespread noxious pest of native and exotic lilies. If you need help controlling this insect, contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office. Easter lilies are poisonous to cats. If ingested they can cause kidney failure. Call a veterinarian immediately if you think your cat has eaten a leaf. Lily Leaf Beetle ‐ Lilioceris lilii Prompt treatment can be successful. Bruce Watt, University of Maine, Bugwood.org For many people the lovely Easter lily is a holiday tradition they cannot go without. Resources: University of Vermont Extension, University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Extension, University of Wisconsin, Missouri Botanical Garden, University of Maine and P. Allen Smith.com.
Master Gardener Corner: Easter Lilies Originally Published: Week of March 22, 2016 Symbolizing purity and new life, the white, fragrant trumpets of the Easter lily (Lilium longiforum) will don many homes and churches this Easter season. Native to the southern islands of Japan and Taiwan, it was discovered in 1777 by Carl Peter Thunberg, the famous plant explorer. In 1853 they arrived in Bermuda, where much of the commercial bulb production was started. A virus destroyed the crop there and in 1898 production moved to Japan, where it continued until the outbreak of World War II. In 1919, Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, brought home a suitcase full of Easter lily bulbs to the southern coast of Oregon. There he gave them out to friends and family. By 1945, bulbs were being grown by 1,200 west coast growers for the commercial market. Today about 95 percent of the world’s Easter lily bulbs are grown along the California and Oregon border where conditions are perfect for them. This area is known as the “Easter Lily Capital of the World.” Only a handful of growers now produce the bulbs. The majority of the lilies grown are of the variety ‘Nellie White’, a selection chosen by grower James White and named for his wife. To achieve those beautiful potted Easter lilies, bulbs are grown for 3 or 4 years out in the field. They are dug up, sorted and replanted each year, until they reach maturity. They are then shipped to commercial greenhouse growers, where they are forced or “tricked” into bloom, just in time for Easter. Careful scheduling is needed to make sure the lilies are ready to bloom during the two week marketing window. When buying an Easter lily, look for a plant that has flowers in various stages of bloom ‐ from buds to partially opened and fully open flowers. Pick plants with dense, green foliage along the entire stem down to the soil line. This indicates a healthy root system. Plants should be well‐proportioned, about two times as high as the pot. Also check the flowers, foliage and buds for signs of insects and disease. Pass on plants that are yellowing, have dark spots on the leaves or crinkled or wilted leaves. Keep your Easter lily away from drafts or drying heat sources. Fairly cool daytime temperatures (60 to 65 degrees F) will prolong the life of the blooms. Bright, indirect light is best. Try to maintain even soil moisture. Water the plant when the soil feels dry to the touch. Do not overwater and do not let the plant sit in water. You can cut off the yellow anthers from the flowers so that shedding pollen will not stain objects it may fall onto. This will also help to prolong the life of the blossoms. Don’t throw your Easter lily away after the holiday. With a little extra care it can be planted out in the garden. Once the plant is done blooming, move it to a sunny window. Pinch off the faded flowers but do not cut down the stalk or cut off any foliage. Keep the plant green and healthy for as long as possible. Just like other bulbs, the foliage helps produce next year’s flower. After the foliage begins to turn yellow, then you can cut it back.
In the garden, select a sunny site with well‐drained soil as they will not survive poorly drained soils. Lilies prefer the upper part of the plant in full sun with their roots in the shade. Mulching around the plants will help keep the roots cool. Potted plants may be planted after danger of frost has passed in the spring. Plant the bulbs 3 to 6 inches deep and about 12 inches apart. Lilies look best when planted in groups of three or five rather than one on its own. When grown in the garden, Easter lilies will bloom in July, when other lilies are in bloom. The white trumpet‐ shaped flowers are exceptionally showy in the summer garden. Cut off the spent flowers, but leave the stem and leaves. Once the stem has died back you can cut it off at the soil surface. For extra winter protection, add mulch to the soil surface after it freezes in late fall. Do not remove the mulch until new growth begins in the spring. Until recently lilies were relatively care free. But now we have to contend with a new pest, the brilliant red Lily Leaf Beetle (Lilioceris lilii). A native insect of Europe, it has become a widespread noxious pest of native and exotic lilies. If you need help controlling this insect, contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office. Easter lilies are poisonous to cats. If ingested they can cause kidney failure. Call a veterinarian immediately if you think your cat has eaten a leaf. Lily Leaf Beetle ‐ Lilioceris lilii Prompt treatment can be successful. Bruce Watt, University of Maine, Bugwood.org For many people the lovely Easter lily is a holiday tradition they cannot go without. Resources: University of Vermont Extension, University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Extension, University of Wisconsin, Missouri Botanical Garden, University of Maine and P. Allen Smith.com.
