Easter Flowers for Your Front Yard

Traditional Easter Flowers

• The Easter lily or Bermuda lily (Lilium longiflorum) produces pure white flowers that symbolize purity. These bulb plants are native to Japan, but were extensively cultivated in Burmuda throughout much of the 1800s. Today, most Easter lilies are cultivated near the Oregon-California border, a growing region that produces more than 11 million bulbs each year. They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7a to 9a.To plant Easter lilies in your own yard, wait until the last flowers finish blooming, then prepare a planting site with a full-sun exposure by amending the soil with organic matter. Plant the bulbs in 3-inch-deep holes and add another 3 inches of dirt and a layer of mulch on top. Your lilies may even bloom again in the summer. Another traditional Easter flower that produces pure-white blooms, the madonna lily (L. candidum), should be planted in fall and is hardy in USDA zone 3a to 7b. Plant bulbs 1 inch deep in rich, moist soil.

Easter Flowers in Europe

• In the Alps, the narcissus or paperwhite (Narcissus tazetta) symbolizes Easter. Pre-dating Christianity, this bulb flower represented spring to the ancient Greeks. In the garden, narcissus produces aromatic, pure white flowers in late winter through early spring atop 18-inch stalks in USDA zones 3a to 9a. Plant the bulbs in October or November in well-drained sites with sunny to partially shaded exposures. Add a layer of mulch to protect bulbs over the winter. In many parts of Europe, the wild daffodil (N. pseudonarcissus) is known as the Easter lily or Lent lily. In the garden, daffodils bloom with yellow or white flowers in late spring atop 12-inch stalks. Plant the bulbs in fall and add a layer of mulch for protection. Daffodils grow in USDA zones 3 to 9 in sunny to partially shaded sites and need regular irrigation during their growing season.

Symbolic Easter Flowers

• In parts of Europe, red flowers symbolize Jesus' blood and are used to commemorate Easter. Other symbolic flowers include red tulips (Tulipa spp.), which can be planted in USDA zones 3 through 10, depending on variety. Culitivars such as "Showinner," "Diplomate," "Oxford" and "Parade" provide bright color in the spring yard. Plant tulip bulbs about 8 inches deep in the fall, and cover with mulch. In the U.K., the pasque flower (Anemone pulsatilla) gets its name from the Latin for "of Easter." This perennial grows to about 12 inches tall and blooms with purple flowers in USDA zones 5 though 8. It prefers dry soil. The bird's eye speedwell (Veronica persica), in USDA zones 4a to 8b, blooms with blue blossoms that represent Christ's blue eyes, says the Independent. These wildflowers grow from 4 to 8 inches tall and flower from mid-spring through late summer.

Easter Flowers in the Middle East

• In Jerusalem, several spring-blooming flowers brighten Easter celebrations. These include the field anemone or windflower (Anemone coronaria), which blooms in USDA Zones 6 to 8, with bright-red flowers that represent the passion of Christ, says the University of Vermont Extension Department of Plant and Soil Science. In the garden, the field anemone blooms in April with bright clusters of brilliant flowers. Plant the bulbs about 5 inches deep in fall and add a protective layer of mulch. Field anemones require full sun exposures and prefer moist soil during spring and fall. The crown daisy (Chrysanthemum coronarium), which grows in USDA zones 4 through 10, also heralds the season. This annual grows up to 4 feet tall and blooms with bright-yellow blossoms. Plant crown daisies in moist soil in sites with full-sun to partial-shade exposures.