Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) – Flowering plants

Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) is a bulbous perennial plant grows from about 20 inches to 1 m tall. with narrow, glossy dark green leaves and produces the most wonderful fragrant, waxy white trumpet-shaped flowers in early summer. Each stem carries up to 10 fragrant flower heads that are tinged green at the base and have golden yellow anthers. The stem has a cylindrical shape, with a diameter of about 2 inches. Easter lily is very good performers in pots or containers.

Edible Uses:

Bulb – cooked. Mild flavored and slightly sweet. Starch is also extracted from the bulb. The bulb is 2.5 – 5 cm in diameter. It can be utilized as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes. Young leaves and stems – cooked. Eating the leaves and stems severely harms the vitality of the bulb and is not recommended.

Scientific classification:

Family: Liliaceae
Genus: Lilium
Species: L. longiflorum

Scientific Name: Lilium longiflorum
Common Names: Easter lily, Bermuda lily, Trumpet lily

How to grow and maintain Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum):

Light:
It thrives best in bright indirect light.

Soil:
It prefers to grow in a rich, organic, moist but well-drained soil. Use a peat moss based potting mix.

Humidity:
It prefers average indoor humidity (around 40% relative humidity).

Temperature:
It prefers an ideal room temperature of 60°F – 65°F / 16°C – 18°C.

Water:
Water regularly and moderately. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Allow the top inch of the soil to dry out between each watering. Water sparingly in winter.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Pruning:
Cut down flower stems when flowering is completed.

Propagation:
It can be propagated by seed as soon as ripe in containers in a cold frame. Also propagated from the bulb, detach bulblets from parent bulb as plants become dormant and pot on, remove bulbils from leaf axils before plants die down and pot on, propagate with scales from healthy bulbs.

Pests and Diseases:
It has no serious pest or disease problems. Watch for aphids, slugs, thrips, leather jackets, wireworms, and snails. Leaf spots, gray mold, root rots are sometimes a problem.