Overview
The large white trumpet-shaped flowers of Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum, are a tradition at Easter time. These plants are forced to bloom at the appropriate time for the holiday, completely out of their normal flowering time. Native to the three small southern islands of Japan (Liu-chiu (Ryukyu) Islands), this species was distributed to other parts of the world a long time ago. It was being cultivated on the mainland of China and Japan when early Western explorers reached the area.
In 1777 the famous plant explorer Carl Peter Thunberg discovered this species, which reached England in 1819. By the 1880s bulbs were being grown commercially in Bermuda for the US market, but by the turn of the century Japan dominated the US export market. The supply from Japan was cut off when the US entered World War II, and commercial production began in the US. Today most of the potted plants grown as Easter lilies are produced by a small number of specialist growers in the coastal region at the border of California and Oregon. Most of those plants are the cultivar ‘Nellie White,’ a selection by grower James White named for his wife.
Bulbs are grown for 3 or 4 years, replanted each year in fields, until they reach the right size and maturity. They are then shipped to commercial greenhouse growers throughout North America, where they are forced under controlled conditions to flower in time for Easter. Since Easter falls on a different day each year (the first Sunday following the first full moon of the vernal equinox, which may be anywhere between March 22 and April 25), careful scheduling is critical to ensure plants are at the perfect stage during the approximately two week marketing window.
The average gardener is unlikely to go to these extremes to get Easter lilies to bloom out of season, but this species is a welcome addition to the summer garden when grown in-ground. They can be planted in masses to create a beautiful border or interspersed with other perennials in mixed borders. They are great additions to specialty gardens such as white gardens, cutting gardens, or fragrance gardens. L. longiflorum is hardy in zones 5a to 11b. They may survive into zone 4 with winter protection, but some cultivars are hardy only to zone 7a.
L. longiflorum is a stem rooting lily that grows up to 3 feet tall (forced plants are shorter because plant growth regulators are used to control their growth). Not all plants will grow to the maximum height, especially those in more northerly latitudes. The taller, more vigorous variety eximium, from the Ryukyu Islands, is cultivated as a cut flower. The single stem growing from the bulb is covered with narrow lanceolate leaves up to 6 inches long. More leaves are produced in cool conditions. The stems are quite sturdy and rarely require staking.
Two or more terminal flowers are held on strong stalks facing outward and perpendicular to the stem. Vigorous plants may have 12 to 15 flowers. The very fragrant flowers open in July in Wisconsin.
Each tubular flower is 3 to 7 inches long with the petals overlapped to create a trumpet shape. The ones sold as container plants around the Easter holiday season have white flowers but there is a range of flower color in this species, so other cultivars may come in shades of pink, yellow, or cream.
Cultivars of Easter Lily
In addition to the common commercial forcing cultivar ‘Nellie White’ there are some other named varieties that are often available:
- ‘Deliana’ produces creamy yellow flowers with a slight fragrance.
- ‘Elegant Lady’ has blush-pink flowers with a sweet fragrance. It is also sometimes called ‘Pink Easter Lily’.
- ‘Trimphator’ has white flowers with rosy pink centers. It is a hybrid of L. longiflorum and Oriental lily.
- ‘White Elegance’ has slightly smaller, but more numerous pure white flowers.
Landscape Use of Easter Lily
L. longiflorum does best in full sun in well-drained soil. Place the bulbs or plants 12 to 18 inches apart, with the bulb about 3 inches deep. Mulch around the plants to insulate the soil (these lilies prefer cool soil) or plant a low ground cover of shallow-rooted, complementary annuals or perennials between the lilies to cover the ground.
Deadhead after the blooms wither by cutting off the flowering portion of the stalk. The leaves will remain green and attractive through the growing season and turn yellow in the fall. Cut the entire stem back to the soil level when it has died back. Use bulb fertilizer or blood meal as a top dressing in the fall; work this into the soil being careful not to disturb the lily roots. Liquid fertilizer can be applied in the spring when growth appears and monthly until blooming. Extra mulch applied after the ground freezes may benefit survival in colder climates. Remove the mulch in the spring when the new shoots begin to emerge.
This lily has few pests, although aphids may sometimes infest the plants.
Propagating Easter Lily
Easter lily can be propagated by seed or division of bulbs. The scales of the bulbs can be separated, or the small offsets, called bulblets, can be removed and planted to form new bulbs. Both scales and bulblets need 2 to 3 years to reach blooming size. Seedlings will take longer to bloom. Dig, divide, and replant the bulbs in the late summer or fall after blooming.
Forced Easter Lily
Choose plants with dense foliage along the entire stem and about twice as tall as the pot. For maximum length of bloom, choose a plant that has lots of buds in various stages of development, with only one or two flowers open. Inspect the plants for evidence of pests and avoid any on which you see insect eggs, mite webbing, or holes in the leaves. Also pass over any plants that have dark spots on the leaves or crinkled or wilted leaves, as they may be diseased.
In the home display Easter lilies in bright, indirect light in an area where temperatures are uniform (not subject to drafts or exposed to direct heat, such as from fireplaces or heating ducts). As with other flowers, fairly cool daytime temperatures (60 to 65 °F) prolongs the life of the blooms. Night temperatures should be slightly cooler at 55 to 60 °F. Try to maintain even soil moisture – do not let pots sit in water or remain dry for more than a day or two. If the pot is in a decorative foil wrapper, make sure water is not accumulating under the pot. You may wish to remove the yellow anthers from the flowers so that shedding pollen will not stain the flowers or other objects when it falls. Removing anthers also helps to prolong the lifespan of the blooms. As the flowers fade and wither, remove by cutting or pinching at the attachment to the stem. Once the plant is done blooming, move it to a sunny spot indoors.
After all risk of frost is past, forced Easter lilies can be moved outdoors, gradually acclimating them to the new conditions over about a week. They can then be planted in the ground in a suitable spot, planting at the same depth or a few inches deeper. If the plant is rootbound, loosen the roots and spread out in the planting hole. The leaves and stem will soon start to turn brown, but within a few weeks new growth should come up from the base of the plant. The plant may even bloom again in late summer if you are lucky!
Alternatively, forced plants can be allowed to go dormant in the pot, stored over the winter, and plant outdoors the following spring. Forced plants may not bloom the following year, but should eventually rebloom at their normal time.
Easter lily, like many other types of lilies, is poisonous to cats. If ingested they cause kidney failure. If you think a cat has eaten a leaf, call a veterinarian immediately, as prompt treatment is required.
Author: Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Reviewers: Allen R. Pyle, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Extension, Bruce Spangenberg, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Extension
Revised: September 2026
