The Easter lily of today, seen in many
homes and churches during this special time of the year, came to America
from Japan in 1919 as bulbs in the suitcase of an American soldier, who
gave them to family and friends living in Oregon. These lovely white,
trumpet-like flowers grow beautifully in the coastal climate of Oregon
and California, where more than 90 percent of today's American Easter
lilies are grown.
For many people, the Easter lily is a symbol of purity, virtue, hope and
life. These lovely flowers are associated with Christ's Sermon on the
Mount at which time He says, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they
grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet..... Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Tradition says that lilies were found
growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ's agony, that the
beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ's sweat fell to
the ground in his final hours of sorrow and deep distress. Yet, the
lily, with its pure-white petals and emanating fragrance, provides a
picture of hope: resurrection.
If you receive an Easter lily this year, be sure to keep it from drafts
and drying heat sources, such as appliances, and water only when the
soil feels dry to the touch. If you have cats at home, keep the plant
away from your feline friends, for the plant is toxic to cats.
Easter lily bulbs are surprisingly hardy in cold climates. Be sure to
provide protection from winter by mulching the ground with a thick,
generous layer of straw, pine needles, leaves, or other mulching
material. The mulch should be removed in spring to allow new shoots to
come up, adding beauty, grace and fragrance to your landscape the next
spring.
For more
information on how to care for and re-bloom Easter lilies, click
here.
