The Easter Lily Capital of the World

It is a story as old as time – with a twist. Planting, growing and harvesting. The age-old cycle of farming has several unique twists here in the fine bench lands that front the Pacific Ocean.

On either side of the border between Oregon and California, and within view of the Pacific Ocean, there is a soil and climate that is ideal to the raising of Easter Lily bulbs. This is the same bulb that is later greenhouse grown to produce such magnificent flowers for our cherished Easter holiday.

Here, then, can be found a first twist. This small region, no more than a half mile wide by, perhaps, 12 miles long, contains such a superior mix of soil and weather that virtually all Easter Lily bulbs in North America are grown here. This is productive land. Seldom touched by freeze or drought, the soils have their beginnings in the nearby ocean. This verdant land was once ocean floor.

When learning the lily bulb story, one of the most striking items is the length of time that the bulb spends underground. For well over one thousand days the bulb sees little daylight. It takes that long for it to grow to a size that is suitable for the Easter season.

The bulb's life underground is hardly undisturbed however. During that three year time frame, the Easter Lily bulb is cultivated, harvested three times, sorted three times, cleaned three times and replanted three times. Not unlike the season it represents, the Easter Lily is reborn to live again.