How-to Guide
Easter Lily Care After Blooming
The short answer
Don't throw it out — plant it. Once the flowers fade, keep the potted lily in a bright window and watered until it can go outside, then plant it in the garden in a well-drained, sunny site, setting the bulb about 6 inches deep. Iowa State Extension suggests planting out in May.
The original stems will yellow and die back; cut them off at ground level and new growth usually emerges by summer. Some gardeners get a second bloom that September; most wait until the following June, when the lily flowers on its natural schedule. In cold climates it isn't reliably hardy, but it often survives and blooms for a few years if mulched heavily each fall with several inches of straw, removed in spring.
One serious warning: the ASPCA lists Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) as toxic to cats — vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, kidney failure, and death are possible, and cats are the only species known to be affected. If you have cats, keep the plant out of the house entirely and call a veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately if a cat chews any part of it.
Toxic to cats — read this first
The ASPCA's toxic-plant database lists Easter lily as toxic to cats (it is listed as non-toxic to dogs and horses). Clinical signs given are vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, kidney failure, and possible death; cats are the only species known to be affected. All parts of the plant are a hazard to a cat that chews on it.
If a cat may have ingested any part of an Easter lily, treat it as an emergency: contact a veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away. In a cat household, the safest choice is simply not to bring lilies indoors — plant a gift lily straight into the garden instead.
From pot to garden
While the plant is still indoors, keep it in bright light and water when the surface of the mix dries; remove spent flowers. Once the weather allows — Iowa State Extension says plant outdoors in May — choose a sunny site with well-drained soil and set the bulb about 6 inches deep. The classic lily advice of cool roots suits it: a mulch layer or low underplanting keeps the root zone shaded while the top grows in sun.
The original greenhouse-forced stem will decline after flowering. That's normal, not death: cut the dead stem off at ground level, and new shoots usually emerge from the bulb by summer.
Will it bloom again — and when
Yes, usually — but on its own calendar, not at Easter. Greenhouse growers force Easter lilies into unnaturally early bloom; in your garden the plant reverts to its natural early-summer season. Iowa State Extension puts it plainly: lucky gardeners may get a second bloom in September of the same year, while the rest wait until the next June.
Hardiness is the limiting factor in cold regions. Easter lilies are not reliably winter-hardy in a zone-5 climate like Iowa's, but Extension notes they often survive and bloom for a few years if heavily mulched in fall — several inches of straw is adequate protection, removed in spring. In milder zones they can settle in as ordinary garden lilies.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- ASPCA — Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants: Easter Lily — Easter lily is toxic to cats (non-toxic to dogs and horses); clinical signs: vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, kidney failure, death possible; cats only species known affected; ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435
- Iowa State University Extension — Can I plant my Easter lily outdoors after it is done blooming? — Plant outdoors in May in a well-drained sunny site, bulb about 6 inches deep; original plant declines, new growth by summer; possible second bloom in September, otherwise next June; not reliably hardy in Iowa but survives a few years with several inches of straw mulch in fall, removed in spring