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Easter lily care

Filed under: — kris @ 3:10 pm


How to pick an Easter lily

Originating from the mountains of Taiwan, the potted Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) symbol of hope and life is the traditional plant of the Easter season.

Easter lily

In order to select a high quality Easter lily there are some factors you must consider. Look for a plant with dense dark shiny green leaves along the entire stem of the plant. Avoid plants with yellowing leaves, it can be an indicator of a problem. Choose buds that are partially opened as well as a few unopened ones. The staggered blooming times will add to your continued enjoyment. Some people will actually count the number of buds on the plant and of course, choose the one with the most flower buds. Be wary of plants that look wilted, this may indicate root rot from too much water.

CARE
Once you bring your lily home, place it in indirect, bright, and light. They prefer temperatures of 60-65 degrees during the day and even cooler at night. Keep the soil moist and avoid over watering. Lilies do not like their feet wet therefore, when watering remove the decorative pot if necessary to allow the plant to drain any standing water.

As the buds open remove the yellow anthers before the pollen sheds, it will prolong the lifespan of the flower and keep the pollen off the white flowers. Cut away any withered flowers to maintain a fresh appearance.

Enjoy your Easter lily, its beauty and fragrance. When it’s finished blooming see the article on “Saving your Easter Lily

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6 Comments on Easter lily care»

  1. Question: Can Easter lilies be planted outside? Southeast Texas Climate.

    Yes, Easter lilies adapt easily to the garden. The original lily came from the mountains of Taiwan and likes a warm climate. See the article on “Saving your Easter Lily”

    Comment by Jeannie C. — 3/29/2005 @ 7:15 pm

  2. I have a lilie, don’t know what type it is.
    It was a very beautiful orange.
    All the leaves now have browned. I did cut the heads off.
    My question is this: I notice at the bottom of the soil line that there are green bulbs all around the main stem of the plant. What do I do and when do I do it. Do I divide and seperate them and store them till a particular time or what?
    Need your help..Don’t want to loose my lilie.
    Thanks, Janie

    The little bulbs are bulblets that develop after blooming. They develop roots and eventually clumps of lilies which you can leave in the soil and eventually divide . You can also harvest the bulblets and replant them in other parts of the garden. They should bloom when they get to be about walnut size, which may take a 1 to 3 yr depending on the variety.

    Comment by Janie Malas — 7/31/2005 @ 7:23 am

  3. Are there two different kinds of Easter lilies? I have received two different plants this Easter. One is a single stalk with multiple blooms/buds. This has a dark green stalk and leaves. The other has 4 stalks in the one pot, the stalks are thinner and a lighter green. Each stalk has multiple blooms but the plants are very tall compared to the single. Can they both be planted outside (Northern NJ)?

    There are different cultivars of Easter lilies (L. longiflorum). Growers are constantly trying to develop “better” plants for size, longer-lasting flowers, improved leaf growth and disease resistance. The newer cultivars are “White Nelly” and a more compact variety “Eden". Your 4 stalk pot could just be 4 lily bulbs planted in a larger pot which are competing for food and light making them taller and paler or a different cultivar. Height of lilies can also be controlled with growth retardants and temperature. Both pots can be planted outdoors. See Saving your Easter lily.

    Comment by Virginia — 4/19/2006 @ 7:39 am

  4. We live in Colorado Springs… COLD winters… My Easter Lily is all done blooming… What do I do to preserve it so that we might also enjoy it next year ???

    See the article on “Saving your Easter lily” Easter lilies grown in cooler zones such as are marginally hardy. It is recommended that they be planted 8” deep and heavily mulched over the winter, in case of a hard freeze or store the bulb indoors in a cool, dark place and repot in the spring.

    Comment by Morris E. Brovold — 5/2/2006 @ 7:37 am

  5. I have an easter lily I just got and it is tilting to one side. How can I fix this or is this going to always be the fate of the plant? Possibly re-pot it?

    One of the reasons Lilies will tilt is that they get too tall for the container and the weight of the open flowers causes them to tilt in one direction. You can try to adjust the base of the plant by pushing in the soil on the opposite side of the tilt, you may have to add more soil to stabilize it, or add a stick into the pot (careful not to pierce the bulb) for support and gently ease the stem toward the support, tying it to keep it in place. Rotate the lily to expose the back of the tilted side to more light and it should gradually bend toward the light. I really wouldn’t repot at this time, it will do more harm than good.

    Comment by Asha — 4/7/2007 @ 8:44 am

  6. I am Very thank full the owner of this blog. Because of this blog is very informative for me.. And I ask u something ,You make more this type blog where we can get more knowledge.

    Comment by Prosolution — 4/18/2008 @ 10:37 pm

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