Tracing the Roots of the Easter Lily!

Most of us know the familiar white, trumpet-shaped lily as a symbol of the Easter Season. To many, its white petals represent purity, innocence, virtue, hope and life..the embodiment of Easter. Tradition has it that lilies were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ's agony. These lilies were said to have sprung up from where His drops of sweat hit the ground. Whether our Easter Lily is the same lily that is mentioned in the Bible is a mystery. Most likely not, though, as the bulb we know as the Easter Lily originated in Japan. That distance would have made it virtually impossible for this lily to have been present at the Resurrection but, like so many of our traditions, the Easter Lily has become a part of the season. Before the 1900s, the white lilies had to be imported from Japan. The white lilies of America..the Madonna and Garden Lily..bloomed late in summer making it unsuitable for this spring rite.

In 1880, a lady named Mrs. Thomas P. Sargent brought a few lily bulbs back from a trip to Bermuda. This Bermuda Lily was given to one William Harris who dubbed it the Easter Lily due to its early blooming habits. He nurtured the lilies but they did not become widespread until a WWI soldier brought a suitcase full of the bulbs back in 1919. Louis Houghton gave the bulbs to family and friends in Southern Oregon. These bulbs were later distributed throughout Oregon and soon were flourishing! Prior 1941, the Easter Lily had to be imported from Japan but with the planting of a few bulbs, this soon shifted to the United States being the main producer of the bulbs. After WWII, the dependence of imported bulbs fell flat and today ninety-five percent of the world's bulbs are produce on farms in the Oregon/California area. The most popular cultivar of this lily is the "Nellie White". A grower name James White worked to create this lily which he named after his wife, Nellie.

Today, the Easter Lily is a common sight in churches, meeting halls and homes. Its image adorns cards and decorations during the Easter Season. Nurseries pot several million bulbs each year to be shipped to florists and shops around the country. So, if you desire to add a bit of beauty and grace to your home or garden, an Easter Lily just might be the plant for you. Most of these if left in the garden will bloom later in the summer than the ones that were force-bloomed with strict greenhouse conditions. I like the natural scheme of things in my gardens so it matters not to me if my "Easter Lily" blooms in June!