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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Nike grant money will help faltering students prepare for college Rare Brewer spruce joins heritage list Derby daughters A place to play Rogue Advocates appeal asphalt plant ruling Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, April 5 Emergency services, April 4 Social media helped track down AmericanWest Bank robber, Medford police say Jury awards damages to Rogue River couple that lived next to noisy dogs U.S. Bank robbery suspect charged in Minute Market crime Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for one year Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. 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Derby daughters ... A place to play ... Rare Brewer spruce joins heritage list ... Derby daughters ... A place to play ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Southern Oregon Journal: The famous Southern Oregon Coast Easter lilies By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 5, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 5, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> “Consider how the lilies of the field grow ...” I’ve whizzed past the sign countless times on my way to the coast. Sometimes, jostling along on a bunk in the back of Uncle Dick’s camper with a Reinell boat tailing our bumper. We had salmon in our sights those days. Other times, kicking back and wave watching were the sum total of the agenda. Never did I offer more than a smile and a nod toward a quaint local boast — “Easter lily capital of the world.” Come to find out, that narrow strip of coastal soil, rich with alluvial magic from Smith River, California, to Brookings, Oregon, supplies 95 percent of the world's Easter lilies. That’s a whale of a lot of bulbs. It’s hard to believe, with a corner on the market like that, these showy flowers aren’t native to this country. Easter lilies, or Lilium longiflorum, hail from the Ryuku Islands of southern Japan. More than a couple of online resources informed me that in 1919, a WWI soldier named Louis Houghton loaded his duffle with the scaly bulbs and headed home to the Southern Oregon Coast. He gave them to friends and family, and by 1920 commercial production had begun. When 1941 hit, or rather the bombs hit Pearl Harbor, imports from Japan came to a halt, including lilies. The USA, and more specifically our little corner of the coastline, became the largest grower and exporter from that day forward. With ideal climate, soil and moisture, there doesn’t appear to be any place on earth better suited for growing the iconic Easter flower. One could posit that it took two World Wars to make that discovery, an example of good from evil. This time of year, these beauties seem to crop up everywhere. Admiring their slender, white blooms, wrapped for celebration, makes me happy. Maybe it’s because of a memory thread with childhood Easters when I got all dolled up in a lacy dress, white gloves and patent leather shoes. And, of course, locating the hidden Easter basket was a highlight. When I time my visit to the coast just right, I still marvel at the fields of lilies, brilliant and nodding through an evening fog, royal trumpets bound for other towns, affluent and poor, to announce something important and delightful. Easter lilies have long been portrayed in art, literature and history as a symbol of purity, hope and life — symbolizing the spiritual essence of Easter. Growing Easter lilies is extremely painstaking. They require three to four years of growth, and are handled about 40 times before they’re ready for exportation to commercial greenhouses. Bulbs are harvested in the fall and manipulated under controlled conditions in order to bloom at the proper time, which can be tricky because Easter can land on any day from March 22 to April 25. If these flowers grace your home this season, professionals recommend removing any decorative sleeve or covering immediately. They like it cool, 60 to 65 degrees and cooler at night. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight and water moderately, not allowing them to stand in water. Here’s to life, love and a reason to celebrate. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer who lives in Eagle Point. Reach her at [email protected]. By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 5, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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