THE CULTURE AND FORCING OF EASTER LILIES 



By Harold E. White 

 Assistant Research Professor of Floriculture 



The culture of Easter lilies for potted plants and cut flowers is an im- 

 portant source of income to Massachusetts florists. Since lilies are in 

 greatest demand at Easter time, and florists' investments are usually- 

 highest at this period, it is imperative for growers to be familiar with the 

 most efficient cultural methods. At present there is no uniformity of 

 opinion as to what temperature is preferable for rooting of lilies. This 

 bulletin presents the results of experiments with controlled temperatures 

 on the growth of liHes, together with observations on other cultural factors. 



Horticultural Importance of Lilies 



Data taken from a survey of the United States Bulb Industry (4) indi- 

 cate that between 1920 and 1931 the importations of all lily bulbs varied 

 from 8,000,000 to 22,000,000 with average annual imports for that period 

 of approximately 13,500,000. 



Since 1931 the annual consumption of all lily bulbs has increased ap- 

 preciably as shown by import figures secured from the Bureau of Ento- 

 mology and Plant Quarantine at Washington. 



1935-36 1936-37 



Japan 18,248,531 21,862,790 



Netherlands 1,440,812 2,061,651 



France 585,758 384,470 



Bermuda 312,175 295,411 



Total Imports 20,587,276 24,604,322 



It is of interest to note that in six years annual average importations of 

 lily bulbs increased from 13,500,000 for the period of 1920-31 to 22,595,314 

 in 1936-37. The quantity of bulbs used for forcing has been estimated by 

 the trade to be about 85 percent of the total consumption. 



Foreign and Domestic Production of Lily Bulbs 



Types of lilies known by such commercial names as Giganteum (Gigs, 

 among the trade for brevity), Harrisi, erabu, Creole, Vaughani, Howardi, 

 Floridi. wonderbell, and Croft, are regarded as varieties of Lilium longi- 

 florum. These varieties constitute what is commonly known in the trade as the 

 Easter Lily group, as contrasted with garden or hardy types, such as L. regale, 

 auratum, speciosum, and candidum, which are also used to a considerable ex- 

 tent by florists for forcing. 



Japan exports to the United States 90 percent or more of all the Hly 

 bulbs imported into this country. From Japan come such varieties as L. aura- 

 tum, erabu, and speciosum, besides Lilium longiftarum giganteum, which is 

 grown in much greater quantities than any other variety. This is by far 

 the most popular variety used for forcing purposes, particularly in the 



