The Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum), native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, was discovered by plant explorer Carl Peter Thunberg in 1777 and sent to England in 1819.

Missionaries and sailors carried the Easter Lily to Bermuda in 1853. Considerable commercial bulb production took place in Bermuda during the late 1800's, hence the other name for this bulbous plant: Bermuda Lily. When a virus destroyed the crop there in 1898, production moved to Japan where it continued until the outbreak of World War II.

With the outbreak of the war, bulbs were, of course, scarce so the price increased greatly. The few with bulbs in the United States who were growing them more for a hobby began growing "White Gold," as they were called, for business.

The war was integral to the bulbs' production on the southern Oregon coast, as it was a soldier, Louis Houghton, who first brought a suitcase of the bulbs there for his friends.

The area along the California-Oregon border is often called the "Easter Lily Capital of the World" because it produces about 95 percent of bulbs grown in the world for the potted Easter Lily market, and virtually all used in the U.S.

After World War II, there were about 1,200 commercial bulb growers along the California-Oregon border. Today, growers of the Pacific Bulb Growers Association produce more than 65,000 boxes of bulbs, shipping them to commercial greenhouses in the United States and Canada. Almost 600 acres are planted to produce Easter lily bulbs, a business worth about $7 million a year.

Almost all Easter lilies are the cultivar (cultivated variety) "Nellie White," selected by a grower and named for his wife. Bulb production begins in the fall, when scales or bulblets are planted. The lily bulb is actually composed of many scales, which are specialized leaves below ground that store food. These can be separated and planted.

Bulblets are mini-bulbs produced along the underground stem which can be removed and planted. Bulblets and scales will form new bulbs. Each fall, bulbs are dug, with the largest packed to sell and the smallest planted back to grow another year.

So, how did the Easter Lily, a plant that naturally blooms in summer in most of this country, become such a symbol of Easter?

For this, we can thank Ms. Thomas Sargent, a woman visiting Bermuda in the 1880s. She loved the flowers blooming naturally in Bermuda in the spring, so she brought some bulbs back home to Philadelphia.

A local nurseryman there, William Harris, began growing them, forcing them into spring bloom, and selling them to other florists. Many began buying the flower for Easter, as they do today, with it symbolizing the Christian religion belief in the Resurrection of Jesus.

How are Easter Lilies forced or "tricked" into bloom in time for Easter?

Once greenhouse growers receive bulbs in late fall, the bulbs are potted and placed in non-freezing cool temperatures. The bulbs must receive about 1,000 hours of moist cold in order to bloom, although additional light after they sprout can substitute for some cold.

Once the lily bulbs sprout, they are closely monitored by growers in order to time them for Easter. This can be difficult, as the date when Easter is observed can vary from March 22 to April 25. Temperature is used to speed up or slow down the crop.

As each plant may respond a bit differently, many plants traditionally have been moved back and forth between warm and cold greenhouses, so are sometimes called a "wheelbarrow crop." Growers track growth using such techniques as "leaf counting," whereby the rate of leaf unfolding is recorded.

At home, keep your Easter Lily away from drafts and drying heat sources such as appliances or heating ducts. Bright, indirect light is best with daytime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees F.

Water the plant only when the soil feels dry to the touch, but don't overwater. To prolong the life of the blossoms, remove the yellow anthers (pollen-bearing pods) found in the center of each flower. If you get this staining pollen on fabrics, don't rub it off, but remove it with sticky tape.

If you have cats, especially those that like to chew on leaves, keep your lily away from them. Any part of the lily, as with many of its relatives, can cause kidney failure in cats. If you think a cat has eaten a leaf, call a veterinarian immediately as prompt treatment often can be successful.

Easter Lilies can be replanted outside after the blooms are gone. Select a sunny site with well-drained soil. Plant the bulb about six inches below the surface. Cut off the faded flowers, but leave the stem and leaves.

Do not cut back the stem until it dies down in the fall, then cut it off at the soil surface. After the soil surface freezes in late fall, mulch the soil and do not remove the mulch until new growth begins in the spring.

For answers to your garden questions, call the Lehigh County Cooperative Extension Office, 610-391-9840, or Northampton County Cooperative Extension Office, 610-746-1970, and ask to speak with a Master Gardener. Volunteers staff phone lines several days a week, Monday - Friday.

Growing Green is contributed by Lehigh County Cooperative Extension Office Staff and Master Gardeners.