Cook's Landscape Rejuvenation Consulting & Designs

Have you ever wondered about the history and the significance of the “Easter Lily” - the flower that adds such elegance and fragrance to millions of homes and churches at Easter?

We tend to think of Easter and Spring as being synonymous. In reality, Easter does not always reflect spring. I recall how on numerous occasions, as a child trudging through snow with my parents on Easter Sunday to get to Church. On entering the sanctuary we forgot winter when seeing the display of “ Easter Lilies” - those large white trumpet lilies with their heady fragrance.

The lily has a long association with Christianity. Jesus uses the lily as an example when He talks about the futility of worrying “Look at the lily, it doesn’t toil or spin. Yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these”. (Matt. 6:28 & 29). There are references to lilies in the Old Testament as well. There are many varieties of lilies. Most lilies originally came from Persia. Scholars believe that Nomads transported lilies into Greece and Rome spreading from there to Crete, Egypt, then Europe and England . The bulbs, being edible, were probably a source of food for the Nomads.

The lily which we associate with Easter (Lilium longiflorum), is actually native to islands of southern Japan. These lilies were brought to England in 1819 then exported to Bermuda where commercial bulb production began in 1853. Forty years later a virus devastated the Bermudian lily industry. The Japanese took over the growing of Easter Lilies and exported them to the United States. The current US production began when in 1919, a World War I soldier (Louis Houghton), returned home to the south coast of Oregon with a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs. He gave the bulbs to horticultural friends and neighbours. During World War II the attack on Pearl Harbour abruptly disrupted the supply of bulbs from Japan. This resulted in the value of lily bulbs sky-rocketing. People growing the lilies as a hobby, saw an opportunity and went into business. These bulbs became known as “White Gold”. By 1945 approximately 1200 growers were producing bulbs up and down the Pacific Coast from Vancouver, Canada to Long Beach, California.

Besides having a strong association with Christianity, as late as the 19th century a Roman Army Doctor recorded that the lily bulb when pulverized and mixed with honey would banish wrinkles from faces. There are many legends associated with this lily. For centuries the white lily was used by artists to symbolize the purity of the Virgin Mary. During the Victorian era the very conspicuous stamens and pistils were removed from the flower because they were seen as “overt symbols of sexuality that might move the congregation to impure thoughts”. Another legend tells of the Garden of Gethsemane being filled with beautiful flowers. One flower stood out from all the rest - a pure white lily. The lily was aware of its extraordinary beauty and proudly lifted its head to show itself to all who passed by the garden. On the night before Jesus crucifixion, Jesus came into the quiet garden to pray. While He prayed and wept, the flowers in the garden bowed their heads in sorrow. The proud lily, however, would not bow its beautiful white head. When the lily was informed of Jesus crucifixion the lily felt so miserable about how it had acted the previous evening, that it hung its head in shame. Ever since, the lily has grown with a down-turned blossom to honor the Lord Jesus and to show its sorrow.

Symbolism also surrounds this lily. The bulb of these flowers, buried in the ground, represents the tomb of Jesus. The glorious white trumpet-like, fragrant flowers symbolize His life after death. The snowy-white colour stands for the purity of the Divine Saviour and the joy of the resurrection. The trumpet shape signifies Gabriel’s trumpet call to rebirth and new life.

Whether the lily is given as a gift, or is enjoyed in our own homes, the Easter Lily serves as a beautiful reminder that Easter is a time for rejoicing and celebrating.

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- The Canadian Rose Society

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Other Garden Related Sites

- Garden Humour featuring David Hobson, Writer, Speaker, Gardener, Humorist.