Easter lilies – choosing and caring for your lily

Mon. Mar. 29, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Easter lilies – choosing and caring for your lily

Easter is early this year arriving in just 7 days. This Christian Holy Day is marked by cherished traditions including the Easter Lily. The beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers of lilium longiflorum symbolize purity, hope and life – the spiritual essence of Easter – a time of renewal. 

They’re often given as gifts and have adorned every home I’ve lived in.  When choosing an Easter lily, look for one in various stages of budding, you’ll get to enjoy the flowers for longer! 

Find the plant with the most dense, all deep green green foliage and check for pests. Choose a plant that is only 2 times as tall as the pot it’s in, if the plant is any larger, it could be stressed!  You’ve selected the best one, now what’s the best way to care for it?

Caring for your Easter lily:

  • Lilies prefer it a little cool, around 60 to 65 degrees
  • They also prefer bright light but out of direct sunlight
  • If your lily is wrapped in foil, punch a couple of holes in the bottom and place it on a saucer.  This enables the excess water to drain
  • Speaking of water, water your lily when the soil surface is dry, let the water drain out the bottom and get rid of what’s left in the saucer.
  • When your flowers open, remove the yellow anthers before the pollen starts to shed.  This prevents the pollen from staining those pretty white flowers and will also prolong it’s life
Easter lily anther

 The Easter Lily is a great gift to share Joy, Hope and Life.