Easter lily

Easter lily: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright bulbous plant about 90 cm tall and 30 cm wide, with a sturdy, straight stem.

Leaves

Narrow to lance-shaped, glossy dark green, scattered along the stem.

Flower

Large trumpets, over 10 cm long, in small groups at the top of the stem, from July to August.

Scent

Heavy and sweet; most noticeable in the evening.

Bulb

Bulb without a protective coat, made up of white scales; it dries out quickly.

Flowering: July–August · Plants: March–May

Why grow it?

• Pure white, trumpet-shaped flowers with a heavy, sweet scent.
• Flowers in July–August, when the garden is ready for new highlights.
• Excellent as a cut flower: a few stems in a vase scent the whole room.
• Suits a pot on the terrace or a warm, sheltered spot in the border.
• A classic with centuries-old symbolism of purity and Easter.

Easter lily: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade in a warm, sheltered spot; the base may stand in shade.
• Free-draining, humus-rich soil: sandy or loamy; neutral to chalky is fine.
• Normally moist: the soil must not dry out, but standing water makes the bulb rot.
• Sheltered from wind and frost: a south-facing wall is ideal.
• In a pot: 25–30 cm wide, with holes in the bottom, with 2–3 bulbs per pot.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -5 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Hydrangea: White and pink flowers fill the summer border with the scented trumpets.
• Lavender: Likes the same warm spot; purple contrasts with the white.
• Ornamental grasses: Soft plumes fill the space around the lily.
• Pelargonium: A pot of pelargoniums at the base keeps the bulb cool.

Easter lily: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May.

1. Plant in March–May; bought bulbs can first start in a pot indoors.
2. Dig a hole or choose a pot 15 cm deep (three times the height of the bulb); mix heavy soil with compost and sand.
3. Set the bulb upright, on a thin layer of sand against rot, 25–30 cm apart.
4. Cover with soil and water well, then moderately.
5. After the Ice Saints (mid-May), put the pot outside in a warm, sheltered spot.

Care

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist during the growing season, especially from June to August. Much less after flowering and in winter.

Feeding

Every two weeks, a little bulb fertiliser or liquid feed during the growing season. Stop after flowering.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould or fine bark keeps the soil cool and moist.

Support

A bamboo cane next to the stem prevents the heavy flower clusters from falling over.

Spent flowers

Cut them off, but leave the stem and leaves until they turn yellow: they feed the bulb.

Tip: Grow it in a pot and overwinter that frost-free: it is less hardy than other lilies. Put the pot on the terrace in July–August where you can smell the scent, but where cats cannot reach it.

Easter lily: when to prune it?

When: Pruning is not needed. Cut off spent flowers and remove the stems only when they are completely withered, in October.

How:

• Cut off spent flowers just below the flower.
• Leave the stem and leaves until they turn yellow: they feed the bulb.
• Cut the withered stem off just above the ground or compost.

Caution: Never cut a green stem too early: the bulb needs the leaves to recharge for next year. For cut flowers, remove the stamens: the pollen stains.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In October–November, when repotting: gently detach the small bulblets next to the main bulb and pot them separately; they flower after 2–3 years.

Scales

In autumn, snap a few healthy scales off the bulb and place them in moist sand or perlite in a plastic bag at room temperature; new bulblets form after a few weeks.

Seed

Sow in spring in pots at room temperature; seedlings flower after a few years.

Easter lily: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −5 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Not reliably hardy: the bulb tolerates hard frost poorly (limit about −5 °C). In Flanders it is best overwintered in a pot.
• After flowering, before the first frost, put the pot somewhere frost-free and cooler (5–10 °C) in a garage, cellar or shed; keep the bulb almost dry.
• In open ground: cover the spot with a thick layer of dry leaves or bark (15–20 cm) and protect from rain; expect losses in hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Lily beetle: A bright red beetle and slimy larvae (covered in their own droppings) eat the leaves from April to July. Hand-picking is the best remedy.
• Botrytis: Brown spots on leaves and buds in wet weather. Cut off affected leaves, leave space between plants and do not water over the foliage.
• Bulb rot: In waterlogged compost or cold, wet soil the bulbs rot. Use a pot with holes and free-draining soil.
• Aphids: They sit on young shoots and buds and can spread virus. Rinse them off with water or let ladybirds do their work.

Through the year

• March: Plant bulbs in pots. Let them start indoors or in a greenhouse.
• April: Plant. Pot in a bright, cool spot.
• May: Outside after the Ice Saints. Water and feed.
• June: Buds form. Put supports in place. Watch for lily beetles.
• July: Flowering begins. Cut flowers for the vase.
• August: Flowering. Cut off spent flowers.
• September: Leaves turn yellow. Water less.
• October: Move the pot somewhere frost-free. Cut off withered stems.
• November: Overwinter the pot dry and frost-free.
• December: Rest. Check now and then for rot or mould.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Lilies are life-threatening to cats: every part, even the pollen and the water in the vase, causes acute kidney failure in very small amounts, which is often fatal without prompt treatment. A little pollen licked off the fur can be enough. If your cat has been at a lily or has pollen on its coat, call your vet at once, even if it shows no signs yet. Do not bring cut lilies into the house if you have a cat (removing the stamens is not enough) and do not plant them where cats often go. For children and dogs lilies are far less dangerous, but they can still cause stomach upsets. Do not confuse them with daylilies (Hemerocallis), whose buds and flowers are edible (though they too are dangerous to cats): never eat a true lily. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• It is forced in greenhouses to flower around Easter; in the garden it naturally flowers only in summer.
• The species name longiflorum means ‘long-flowered’, after the long trumpet-shaped flowers.
• In many countries the white lily is a symbol of Easter and purity.