As our society grows further and further from daily communion with nature, it comforts me to see how words and phrases in our language still contain evidence of a time when we lived closer to the earth. They are proof positive that we, in large number, used to know plants, animals and weather like the back of our hands (hmmmm, have to look that one up next). What does this train of thought have to do with lilies? The other day, while thinking about this article, I ran across this phrase - "her reputation was lily white."
Looking up the meaning behind those words, I found they stem (see what I mean about words and phrases everywhere?) from biblical times. White lilies have long been associated with the sacrament of motherhood and with The Virgin Mary. The white trumpet-shaped flowers symbolize virtue, purity, innocence and the hope of new life. Consider the words from the famous Battle Hymn of the Republic: "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea…."
The Latin name for the Easter Lily is Lilium longiflorum. It is native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, which includes Okinawa. In the 1880’s, it was also widely cultivated in Bermuda and from there, bulbs were first shipped to the United States. Japan, however, remained the dominant exporter of Easter Lilies until the Second World War. When Pearl Harbor happened, the exporting of Easter Lilies to the U.S. abruptly stopped, and American growers suddenly found themselves with a thriving business. Most of these businesses were located along the western coast of the United States in Oregon and California, where the climate is favorable, and where, by chance, a WWI soldier named Louis Houghton had shared bulbs he brought to this country in 1919. The farms in this region have consistently grown high quality bulbs over the years, and the area has become known as the Easter Lily Capital of the world. Nearly all of the bulbs for the commercial blooming, potted Easter Lily market are grown in a small region along the border of these two states.
Easter Lily bulbs must be cultivated three to four years before they are ready to be transported to commercial greenhouses. During this time they require constant care. They are never dormant. Bulbs are replanted up to three times in their span between bulblet (a tiny bulb taken from a mother bulb) to mature bulb. Each time they are replanted they are moved to new ground for a span of one year and given different nutrition. This insures a large healthy bulb that is clean and of high quality.
Harvesting takes place in the autumn of each year. All the planting and replanting takes place at this time, so there is a circle of activity happening, as baby bulbs are separated and harvested from their parent, mid-size bulbs go to a new field, and mature bulbs are dug up and sent to greenhouses. In these greenhouses, the bulbs are forced under strict, controlled conditions in order to flower in time for Easter. Easter, as you know, does not always happen on the same day, or even in the same month, so this is a process that takes a great deal of knowledge and skill.
So, why Easter? Why, when we observe this religious holiday, and the emergence of spring and new life, do we think of the white lily? The lily is mentioned many times in the Bible (so we realize that the Holy Land also had a favorable climate for this bulb). Christ tells us in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:28): “Consider the lilies of the field: how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (NKJV)
Lilies were found growing the Garden of Gethsemane after the crucifixion of Christ. Legend tells us that lilies sprang from where drops of sweat and blood fell to the ground beneath Christ’s feet as He hung on the cross. In other words, beauty and new life for us were the result of His suffering. And so we look at the Easter Lily, placed in profusion around our church altars and sanctuaries on Easter morning, and we sense resurrection too. Each spring, we see our replanted lilies peeking through the soil in our gardens, and we are reassured of new life springing forth, pure and free from blemish.
Following are some tips for gardeners who grow Easter Lilies in their own flowerbeds. First of all, enjoy your lily as long as possible in the pot in which you received it. Keep it moderately moist, but like all potted plants, do not over water. As the flowers mature, clip the yellow anthers before the pollen attached to them begins to shed. Clipping the pollen stems will lengthen the life span of each individual flower, and help keep the flower itself unstained.
Do this carefully, as the yellow pollen on lilies is one of the great natural dyes. Whatever it touches will become stained and the stain is almost impossible to remove. Once I put an Easter Lily in my car to take home. In doing so, I brushed the ceiling of my car’s interior with one of the stamens on the lily. That spot is still there! If you do get the pollen on your clothing, do not use a damp cloth – use a dry brush and quickly and lightly brush the pollen away.
After the last bloom has withered, place the pot in a sunny spot until the last frost. Then you can plant the bulbs outside. A well-drained garden spot with a rich organic soil content will allow your lilies to come back year after year. Plant the bulbs three inches below the ground level, and mound an additional three inches over the topsoil of the bulb. Plant the bulbs sixteen to eighteen inches apart. Lilies like to have their heads in the sun, and their roots in the shade, so give the sunny garden spot you choose plenty of mulch. Lilies will be hardy, even in cold climates, if you layer the soil with pine straw or leaves in the winter. Remove and refresh the mulch carefully in the spring to prevent damaging new shoots.
In closing, I am reminded of another "lily" phrase that is even the clever name of a little boutique in my city. Ever heard of 'gilding the lily"? It means an attempt to adorn something that is already elegantly beautiful…. a needless exercise in other words. The Easter Lily is indeed beautiful and elegant. It needs no additional decoration. It is fragrant and perfect in form and color…. a true gift of nature from God. It is a great addition to any garden. I hope as you buy and enjoy yours this spring that you will stop to admire the tradition, the skill of cultivation, and the infinite natural beauty of this lovely flower.