Long live the lilies

Tyler—Lilies have been part of human imagination for so long that it is no wonder gardeners still reach for the name whenever they see a bold bloom on a tall stalk. The word carries centuries of symbolism. It carries stories from Scripture, from ancient myth, and from family traditions passed down in gardens across the world. But in East Texas, most of the “lilies” we grow are not true lilies at all. They simply inherited the name because their flowers struck someone as lily‑like. Only Easter lilies, tiger lilies, and Philippine lilies are in the genus Lilium and belong to the lily family.

The lily’s symbolic weight began long before any of these plants reached American gardens. In the ancient Mediterranean, lilies stood for purity, renewal, and divine favor. Early Christians adopted the flower as a symbol of resurrection. Artists painted lilies into scenes of the Annunciation. Medieval churches embroidered them into vestments. The association became so strong that the white trumpet lily eventually took on the name “Easter lily,” even though it is native to Japan and Taiwan and only became a holiday staple in the early twentieth century.

Closer to home, another plant picked up a religious name even though it is not a lily at all. The old‑fashioned St. Joseph’s lily, which many East Texans remember from their grandparents’ yards, is actually a hardy heirloom amaryllis. It blooms in spring with bold white-striped, red trumpets and has long been linked with the Feast of St. Joseph.

The same is true for Lent lilies. These cheerful yellow flowers that appear in late winter are daffodils, also members of the amaryllis family. Their early bloom coincides with the Lenten season, which gave them their name. They are as much a part of the East Texas spring as redbuds and dogwoods, even though they are not lilies in any botanical sense.

Daylilies are another example. They are among the most widely grown perennials in East Texas, valued for their toughness and the way each bloom lasts only a single day. But they belong to their own family and have no relation to true lilies. Canna lilies, with their tropical foliage and bold summer flowers, are not lilies either.

Crinum lilies, rain lilies, and spider lilies round out the list of plants that carry the lily name without the lineage. Crinums are long‑lived bulbs that settle into old homesteads and bloom for generations. Rain lilies pop up after summer showers with delicate star‑shaped flowers. Spider lilies send up their red, white, or occasionally yellow fireworks in early fall. All three belong to the amaryllis family, not the lily family, but they have earned a place in East Texas gardens through reliability and charm.

True lilies or not, these plants connect us to a long human story. They remind us that gardeners have always named plants for the most common plants that they resemble. In the end, the meaning we attach to them is as enduring as the blooms themselves.

Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the county horticulturist and Smith County Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler.