Ask Ella: De-Leafing Your Lilies

Our latest plant-care tip in the Ask Ella series is about one of the world’s most recognizable flowers: the lily, which has long been regarded as a symbol of humility and devotion. Fortunately for us, the plant itself doesn’t require too much devotion: it’s really a low-maintenance flower, as long as you know the rules.

Lilies like very warm- to hot- water, and it’s very important that you clean all the leaves from the part of the stem that will be immersed in water once they are cut for bouquets– otherwise, they will rot and take energy away from the flowers, which in turn causes the whole Lily to wilt faster. So, like us, Lilies enjoy a nice hot bath. And as usual: make sure you’re cutting the stems at an angle.