Easter Lily
The Main Stay of Easter Floral Decoration

If the rose is the symbol of kings and queens, the lily is the flower of the Gods. In early Christian art, the lily is a symbol of purity because of its delicacy of form and its snow white color. The White Trumpet or Easter Lily has come to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus. The lily has often been considered to be temperamental in cultivation; however, being one of the best garden plants, the lily can be brought down to the earth.

Biblical legend tells us that the lily flower came from Eve's tears when she and Adam were banished from the Garden of Eden. No matter whether you come from the East or the West, the lily is usually a symbol of purity, grace and beauty. Christians treat the lily as the Virgin Mary's flower, so the Lily becomes the accepted floral decoration on Easter Sunday and for wedding ceremonies in the Western world.

But its acceptance in America, as such, dates back around the 1800s. It came in with the rise in the Easter observances by the Protestants in America. And, strange, it took some more time to find a widespread acceptance. For, the early Americans those days were not used to seeing a lily waiting to be picked up for the Easter decor. The native American lilies, for example, the garden or, Madonna lily, bloom in the early summer. Though it could be forced to bloom earlier using the hothouse conditions, the hassles associated did not allow it to be accepted widely. And custom did not find a widespread growth until a lily was imported.  

In the 1880s, while in Bermuda, Ms Thomas P Sargent became familiar with a beautiful lily that blooms naturally in springtime, the white trumpet lily, which produces sweet, fragrant blooms, she just fell for this lovely white 'Bermuda' lily. She brought its bulbs in back home in Philadelphia. There, a nursery man, called William Harris, fostered its popularity among other florists. Since it naturally blooms in springtime, right about Easter, the flower quickly became known as the Easter Lily. Following this it did not take long for the flower to win the hearts of million to be the main flower of the Easter floral arrangements.

The Easter lily starts out as a hard, brown bulb that has a paper-hard shell. The bulb is buried in the earth. The sun shines, the rain falls, and at last a plant grows from the bulb. Soon a beautiful white lily blooms. Lilies are widely known as a symbol of Easter and the coming of spring. Their sweet, clean smell and simple form seem to stand for everything pure and perfect. For hundreds of years Lilies have commonly appeared as symbols of purity and holiness.

Caring for Live Easter Lilies

• Flowering Period - blooms for about one to two weeks

• Size - flowers are 6 to 8 inches long with a 4 to 5 inch spread, leaves are up to 6 inches long

• How to grow - keep in cool sunny location

• Soil and water - keep soil moist but not soggy and allow the soil to dry between waterings.

• Temperature - Easter lilies do best at temperatures between
  65° to 68° F.

• Tip - no fertilizer is needed while Easter Lilies are in bloom.

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