Those pretty indoor Easter lily plants that you buy at Easter time are really hardy perennials, so don’t throw them out after the Easter holiday has passed. Plant them outdoors to beautify your landscape instead!
How To Keep Easter Lilies After Easter
Just follow the easy instructions below to keep your lilies each year and establish a nice outdoor lily garden (see Building Beautiful Garden Borders for ideas on where to plant them).
First, Prolong Indoor Bloom Time
To maximize your enjoyment of your lilies, be sure to prolong their indoor bloom time. To do this, be sure to pinch off the yellow anthers inside the flowers as soon as the flowers open. This prevents pollination (un-pollinated flowers last longer) and keeps the flowers white.
Easter Lilies With Anthers
Keeping your lily plants in daytime temperatures in the 70’s and nighttime temperatures in the ’40s will also prolong bloom time. Warmer temperatures reduce bloom time.
Easter Lily With Anthers Removed
Then, Prepare Them For Outdoor Blooming
If grown indoors as a houseplant, it’s difficult to get an Easter lily to re-bloom, but if planted outdoors, they readily re-bloom each year.
To prepare your plant for planting outdoors, remove all of the flowers once your plant’s flowers have faded. This forces the plant to enlarge the bulb rather than producing flower seeds.
Then, keep your plant(s) in bright, indirect light until nighttime temperatures stay above 40 degrees outdoors.
Finally, Plant Them Outdoors
Plant your lilies about 6 inches deep, in a partially-sunny site with well-drained soil.
Cover with several inches of mulch before winter in cold winter areas for winter protection. Lilies planted this way should bloom mid-summer next year and many years thereafter.
Lilies In The Garden
Finding Deals On Lilies
Right after Easter is also a good time to check for deals on lily plants at stores, they’re usually trying to get rid of them (who wants them after Easter has passed after all). Sometimes you can find them for ridiculously low prices!
Kaye says
My Easter lilies are still very green and lush looking. If I want to keep over winter should I cut them back and cover with mulch or just leave them as they are and cover them.
Lesa says
Hi Kaye, If you have them planted in the ground, then I would just leave them as they are and cover with mulch.
Debbue says
Is it normal for the Easter lily ti bloom more than once a year? Mine is blooming again and it’s almost august
Lesa says
Hi Debbue, I don’t think that happens too often, but it hopefully it means your Easter lilly is loving it’s location and care!
Carrie says
I have been babying three large pots of Easter lily plants since after the holiday. They are sitting on my front porch and the leaves are starting to yellow. Should I let them die back all the way or cut them back? Then would it be right to plant them in the yard in the fall for next year’s regrowth? Should I lift the bulbs out of the soil now and store them for fall? I’m in hardiness zone 6a-7b. Thanks for your help.
Lesa says
Hi Carrie, You can just plant those Easter Lilies out in your garden now (as long as night time temperatures are above 40 degrees) after cutting off any flowers that remain. The growing foliage will help the bulbs get bigger and prepare them for blooming next year.
Carrie White says
Thanks – they look really bad. Should I keep watering them?
Lesa says
Have you been feeding them as well as watering them? If not, they’re probably out of nutrients in those pots. I’d work some well composted manure or good garden soil into the ground where you plant them to give them some nutrients. After you plant them in your landscape, I’d water them a few times to make sure they’re getting established, but as time goes on, they should survive in your landscape with the other plants.
Katherine Race says
For the lilies should the stems be cut off when you plant them outside?
Lesa says
Hi Katherine,
No, just plant the lily outdoors like any normal plant. 🙂
Betty M. Barringer says
I have a Easter Lily that has been coming back for 18 years! Is this normal? Still hast a big beautiful bloom!
Lesa says
Hi Betty,
Yes, that’s normal – they’re perennials!