Flowers A to Z - Easter Lily

Easter Lily or White Trumpet Lily

Botanical Name :	Lilium longiflorum
Common Name :	Easter Lily, White Trumpet Lily
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	LIL-ee-um lawn-ji-FLOR-um
Family Roots :	Member of the Liliaceae (lily family). Native to Japan. Common relatives include asparagus, lily-of-the-valley, daylily, hyacinth and tulip.
Personality :	Flowers are trumpet-shaped, 5-7 inches long. Stems range from 24-36 inches long, 3-6 flowers per stem depending on bulb size. Plant is a herbaceous perennial grown from bulbs, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined. Has a moderately sweet fragrance.
Availability :	Mostly spring.
Flower Color :	Mostly white but can be pink, red; may be speckled, bicolor.
Decorative Life :	4-11 days, cultivars vary.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Ethylene Comments :	This species is less sensitive to ethylene after harvest than some other lily (mostly Asiatic) hybrids.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Choose stems with at least 2 fully developed buds and the rest well-colored, remove bottom foliage, recut stems under water and use fresh flower food but avoid types/brands with high sugar levels. Leaf yellowing can be common due to low temperature, excessive storage or excess sugar in vase solution. Yellowing can be greatly reduced by spray or uptake applications of a mixture of benzyl adenine and gibberellin 4+7.
Storage Specifics :	36-38F (less than 3 days), 32-34F (more than three days).
Tidbits :	Popular cultivars of Easter lilies are 'Nellie White' and 'Ace' which are more commonly used as potted plants, not as cut flowers. The specific epithet name "longiflorum" means long flowers. Latin form of the Greek "leiron" (used by Theophrastus for the Madonna lily). The lily is said to have sprung from the tears of Eve as she was expelled from the Garden of Eden. It remains the Christian symbol of purity, chastity, innocence and resurrection. With over 3000 species, the lily family includes many medicinal and food species in addition to ornamentals. In Ancient Greece, the lily was the flower of Hera, goddess of the moon, earth, air, woman's life, marriage and childbirth. In ancient Rome, it was the symbol of Juno, the goddess of light, sky, marriage and motherhood. Pollen sheds easily and stains whatever it touches. Removal of the stamens (yellow portions that contain pollen) from the flower prevents this, but may shorten vase life. Some, however, state that removing stamens enhances flower life. With more than 100 species, the Lily has been in cultivation for centuries, and has acquired many religious and mystical associations. Known as the flower of the Virgin Mary, the Lily has long been thought to represent purity and innocence. See More Flowers at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html