It's so exciting! I know spring is near because it's time to talk about Easter lilies (or lilium longiflorum in Latin, we're fancy like that, you know! 
). An Easter lily is the traditional flower for Easter (I know it seems redundant, but I had to say it!) and presents a lovely picture.
With a large, trumpet-shaped white flower, the Easter lily symbolizes purity, hope and life, it is both a beautiful plant (and very symbolically correct) for celebrating Easter as well as the spring season in general. You may not have guessed this, but the Easter lily is one of America’s most popular blooming plants – it is, in fact, the 4th largest potted plant crop in the US!
Sending an Easter lily plant as a gift is a great way to share the joy of Easter with friends and family who celebrate the holiday, but also makes a great gift for those who simply want to enjoy the beauty of a great spring flower.
The Easter lily is only available for sale for a short time across most of the US – normally just a few weeks, meaning there's only a short time to find and send one. (Also, the on-sale time doesn't necessarily mean it will only live for two weeks! Just that you'll only find Easter lilies to buy for that short span of time.)
An important note: Lilies can be poisonous to cats or dogs if Fluffy decides to take a nibble of it. Make sure your lily’s recipient would welcome the gift if they’re a pet owner, or if they would prefer a different selection (we have a large Easter Flowers collection to choose from at Teleflora!). For more on plants and flowers in homes with pets, check out our prior blog post on pet-friendly flowers or refer to the ASPCA’s informative website.
Caring for your Easter Lily – Indoors or Out
If kept inside, avoid placing the plant near drafts, and try not to place it somewhere too warm like on top of a television or near a heating vent. The lily will thrive near a window in bright, indirect natural daylight and in a spot with ‘moderately cool’ temperatures.
The best way to water your Easter lily is to remove it from the decorative pot or cover, take it over the sink and water until water seeps out of the pot’s drain holes. Allow it to air right in the sink basin or on a dish for a few minutes to let excess water drain away before putting back in its decorative pot. This will help the plant get enough water without causing overwatering – the lily will do best if its soil always feels damp (but not soaking) to the touch.
As the flowers begin to mature, remove the yellow anthers (the pollen stems in the middle of the bloom) - this will prolong the life of the flowers and prevents the pollen from staining the white blooms. To keep the plant looking its best, blooms can be cut off when they start to fade.
Easter lilies can also thrive outside if planted in a garden once the ground has thawed. Choose an area of your garden with bright light but some shelter from extreme heat and wind. Spread the roots and work the soil in around the bulbs and the roots, leaving no air pockets. Water immediately and thoroughly after planting. The plant should bloom again in summer or fall.
So that's Easter lilies! Do you have a favorite memory of an Easter lily, or a question about these lovely plants that we didn't answer here? Ask away in the comments section!
{Image sources: Easter lily magazine illustration courtesy dok1 via Flickr, Easter lily closeup courtesy Zest-pk via Flickr}
