Easter lily is native to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, where it grows in grasslands and on woodland slopes in rich, moist soil. The name Longiflorum simply means long flower in Latin, a direct description of the classic trumpet-shaped white blooms that are among the most fragrant in the genus. Florists force bulbs into bloom for Easter each year, which gives the species its familiar common name, but in an ordinary garden this lily flowers naturally in late summer to fall.

Plant bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep in fall or early spring in rich, organic, well-drained soil in full sun, keeping the root zone shaded with mulch. Sandy and clay soils both work well with consistent moisture. Space bulbs 12 inches apart and cut back stems after the foliage yellows. In zones 5 through 8, the bulbs overwinter in the ground without lifting. An Easter lily rescued from a pot after its holiday bloom, planted out in the garden, will often reward the effort with autumn flowers for years.