Carol McClain

The Bible Garden: The Easter Lily

I know the Easter lily is not native to Israel, and is a difficult cultivar for our region, but with Easter less than a week away, I want to devote this post to one of my favorite flowers. The Easter lily is the third most popular seasonal plant. It follows the poinsettia and chrysanthemum.

Never does an Easter pass without one of these on my table.

In Christian legend, lilies:

• are sometimes call “The Apostles of Hope”
• are said to have sprung up in the Garden of Gethsemane where Christ’s blood hit the ground
• are also said to be the product of Eve’s tears when she was banished from the Garden of Eden
• are seen as a symbol of purity

Horticulturally:

• Lilies originated in Japan
• They had been grown in Bermuda until disease wiped them out
• Most of our bulbs now come from the southern Oregon/northern California coast
• To prolong their blooms, remove the anthers before the pollen forms
• Keep cool, relatively well watered

You can plant your lily outside. Up here, I’ve had some re-blooming, but never to the glory of the potted plant.

Lilies, with their scent and milky purity are among my favorite flowers. What are yours?