Wikimedia Commons
Liliaceae
Easter Lily
Lilium longiflorum
Resurrection, hope, purity, virtue.
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Lilium
- Native to
- Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Taiwan
- Bloom season
- Spring (Forced For Easter)
- Type
- bulbous perennial
- Height
- 60–120 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- Well-drained, rich
- Water
- Regular
- Hardiness
- 5–9
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Did you know
- Easter lilies are not native to the Holy Land — they're Japanese, but became associated with Easter through Christian symbolism in the early 20th century.
- Nearly all commercially grown Easter lilies in North America come from a small region on the California–Oregon border, supplying about 95% of the market.
- World War I veteran Louis Houghton brought a suitcase of Easter lily bulbs from Bermuda to Oregon in 1919, founding the American Easter lily industry.
- Easter lilies are exceptionally toxic to cats — even pollen brushed off fur can be fatal if ingested.
- To bloom in time for Easter (which moves on the calendar), commercial growers must precisely time their planting based on each year's date.