Easter Lilies

Easter lilies are, for many, an ideal symbol of the spiritual nature of Easter. These white, trumpet-shaped flowers symbolize purity, hope and life and are among the most popular Easter gifts. 

Easter lilies are, for many, an ideal symbol of the spiritual nature of Easter. These white, trumpet-shaped flowers symbolize purity, hope and life and are among the most popular Easter gifts. 

During his life, Christ even mentioned the white lilies we know know as Easter lilies as a reference to beauty in his Sermon on the Mount. The flower’s association with Easter comes from the Christian tradition that white lilies sprung from the spots where drops of Christ’s sweat fell in the Garden of Gethsemane. To this day, churches often cover their altars and surround crosses with Easter lilies as a commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

While they are most often given as a potted plant, you can grow Easter lilies in home flowerbeds. After the flower dies, continue to grow the lily in its container until after the last spring frost. Transplant your Easter lily to a t flower garden with rich, well-drained soil and full t sun. Let it continue to grow until it naturally dies off in summer.

In fall, apply bulb fertilizer or blood meal on top of the soil above the Easter lily bulb.  In colder regions, use mulch to overwinter the area to keep the bulb protected through the winter. Your Easter lily should begin to grow the following spring and t bloom in late spring. Sometimes, bulbs do not bloom until the second year after transplant, so be patient if you see only leaves and no flowers. Many bulbs that were forced to bloom (by florists) need a year t to recover before returning to a normal cycle.