Lilium longiflorum
Encyclopedia
Lilium longiflorum, often called the Easter lily
or November lily, is a plant native to the Ryukyu Islands
(Japan
) and Taiwan
. It is a stem rooting lily, growing up to 1 m high. It bears a number of trumpet shaped, white, fragrant, and outward facing flowers.
of it, L. longiflorum var. eximium, native to the Ryukyu Islands
, is taller and more vigorous. It is extensively cultivated for cut flowers
. It has irregular blooming periods in nature, and this is exploited in cultivation, allowing it to be forced for flowering at particular periods, such as Easter
. However, it can be induced to flower over a much wider period. This variety is sometimes called the Bermuda lily because it has been much cultivated in Bermuda.
. A disease affected the Bermuda lilies: this was identified by Lawrence Ogilvie
. Then most Easter lily bulb
s arriving in the United States
were imported from Japan before 1940s. The supply of bulbs was suddenly cut off after the attack on Pearl Harbor
and Easter lilies became extremely valuable in the United States.
Easter lily
An Easter lily may refer to a number of flowers connected with Easter:*Lilium longiflorum, scented lily, commonly called Easter lily in North America and other parts of the world, native to Japan...
or November lily, is a plant native to the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
(Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. It is a stem rooting lily, growing up to 1 m high. It bears a number of trumpet shaped, white, fragrant, and outward facing flowers.
Cultivation
A varietyVariety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
of it, L. longiflorum var. eximium, native to the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
, is taller and more vigorous. It is extensively cultivated for cut flowers
Cut flowers
The term cut flower refers to flowers or flower buds that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is usually removed from the plant for indoor decorative use. Typical uses are in vase displays, wreaths and garlands...
. It has irregular blooming periods in nature, and this is exploited in cultivation, allowing it to be forced for flowering at particular periods, such as Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. However, it can be induced to flower over a much wider period. This variety is sometimes called the Bermuda lily because it has been much cultivated in Bermuda.
History
From the 1890s to the early 1920s, there was a thriving export trade of bulbs from Bermuda to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A disease affected the Bermuda lilies: this was identified by Lawrence Ogilvie
Lawrence Ogilvie
Lawrence Ogilvie was a Scottish plant pathologist.Ogilvie was a UK expert on the diseases of commercially-grown vegetables and wheat from the 1930s to the 1960s....
. Then most Easter lily bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
s arriving in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
were imported from Japan before 1940s. The supply of bulbs was suddenly cut off after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and Easter lilies became extremely valuable in the United States.