PlantFiles: Easter Lily
Lilium longiflorum

My neighborhood church gave me about 15 pots a few years ago after Easter was over. I planted them in the ground and now have hundreds!

Each plant sends up about 6 new babies every year. I've been digging them up, potting them and selling them.

Such a wonderful and hearty bloomer! It survives both the heat and drought we get in Maryland, and the cold winters (when we have them) just fine.

My mother grew these outside in Wisconsin. Some would die out over the winter, but some would make it. The one that she had that did the best was planted by the house. Seemed to do well because the heat from the house would help it during the winter. The last year it blossomed there were about 30 blossoms on it. I will upload the last picture that I got of it.
The year my mom died, the house sat empty during the winter, heat was kept lower, so the plant died out :(

Very easy to grow even in poor soils.
In my area they are planted outdoors in the autumn and flower in late May.
They die down in the summer.
Light frost and snow may not affect foliage, but can cause great harm in the following blooming (the flower buds are destroyed, even before appearing).

I got some several years ago and planted them; they come up each year and bloom around August.

Planted this one in my sunny garden after Easter in 2002. It has bloomed the last two summers.

I do know that the lily blooms in the sun but because I have very little sun, I had to put it in the shade and they did beautifully. Of course they are leaning out to catch that glimpse of sun, but every one of them bloomed. I also get mine from church every easter. They stay in the ground and when they finish blooming slowly die back to nothing and what a surprise in the spring.

I love this plant! All of my bulbs came from a nursery, my mother's cousin (I suppose that makes him my cousin as well doesn't it? LOL) runs in Springhill, LA that specializes in these and poinsettias (sp?). Any that he doesn't sell to his retail sellers after Easter he throws away and I have gotten him into the habit of saving them for me. I have some bulbs that produce 12 to 15 blooms per and they seem to multiply faithfully in this area. I love their fragrance!
Blessed, by free and faithful bulbs, Dan Brown, Elm Grove, LA

I've grown Easter Lilies in mid-Michigan for years. It is correct that they don't get as tall but mine have always put out beautiful fragrant flowers every year. After the store bought plant has finished blooming I plant it outdoors and cut it back also. More people should give it a try.

Once the greenery dies back I unearth the bottom part of the plant, break off any roots, then place the scales in a ziplock bag with enough soil to cover them loosely. All of this goes into the refrigerator until the last month of winter. I then break off the larger scales and plant them, as well as the core holding the smaller scales, all in separate pots. It's a great way to increase your plant count quickly.

Zone 9a, South Louisiana

I brought home three "orphans" from a local grocery store/florist in 2001 (freebies!), planted them together in a large pot on the patio, wished 'em luck and went on my way. They are perfectly happy in the full hot sun, enjoying my neglect.

This year there are 8 plants in that pot (I plan to divide them after they die back) which grew to about three feet tall and produced 6 - 8 glorious trumpets each, from May 4 to May 18.

As to the toxicity of the plant, yes, they are toxic, and not just to cats. But I've never had a cat nibble any of my lilies. My own cat, Susan, showed no interest in them at all. Our dog, Stupid, likes to munch in my gardens, but he avoids poison plants on his own, and ignores the lilies altogether.

I bring home at least one each year from my church.I now have a bed full.They always bloom but not at always at Easter.This year they have just finished.I find them very hearty.

Agree. We received it as a gift in March 2002 - a store bought type. After it was done blooming, I planted it in the flowerbed (full sun). Cut it to ground and it all but disappeared for the rest of 2002. Come spring 2003 and it springs back to life with full force. Grew strong than last year with multiple stems, and gave us beautiful flowers (11 total count). See 3rd and 4th photos posted above.

From Zone 3 in Northern Wisconsin:

Instead of throwing out Easter Lilies after Easter, we have found that it is very simple to rest them by letting them die back, and planting them in the garden in spring. Ours have multiplied and bloom every year. However, this far north they do not grow back to the same height as they do when bought from stores before Easter. Ours have choosen to grow to about 1' tall.

Hearing they are toxic to cats is news to me, because we have to keep the wild rabbits from chewing on the blossoms!

They have become a nice addition to our rock garden, and we never dig them out in the fall.

All parts of Easter lilies and several other types of lilies are very poisonous to cats if injested by cats. They cause kidney failure in cats.