The lustrous, strappy green leaves of the Easter lily continue to radiate lively color long after the enormous clear white blooms have drooped and faded. This striking plant is the fourth-largest potted crop in the United States, according to information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

You may be wondering what to do with the lily you purchased or received for the springtime holiday. If so, learning a bit more about the plant may help in caring for it during its less glamorous period of life, sustaining it through the summer months and, possibly, to another season of bloom.

Easter lilies, known botanically as Lilium longiflorum, are native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan and the islands of Okinawa, Amani and Erabu. They were introduced to Europe in the early 1800s and, beginning in the late 1800s, became a favored spring flower of Victorian-era North Americans.

The American Northwest is one of the largest Easter lily bulb-producing areas on the continent. This region supplies the commercial industry with bulbs that are forced into bloom as seasonal potted plants. Bulbs are potted and grown indoors in greenhouses, where temperature, light and moisture conditions are managed to influence lily development. A perfect orchestration of environmental control over the plants causes millions of lilies to bloom precisely over a two-week period around Easter.

In the United States, Easter lilies are available for only a short period of time in early spring. In Western Europe and Japan, Easter lilies are sold as cut flowers over an extended time period. One of the most alluring attributes of the Easter lily, potted or cut, is its fragrance. Particularly during the evening hours, each large flower emits a strong, sweet fragrance. In its native setting this fragrance is one way the lily attracts pollinators. Its large, showy white flowers ensure pollination, and, thus, its survival.

Although attractive, the protective sleeve in which the potted lily is placed for shipping should be removed from the pot as soon as possible. These sleeves may inhibit adequate drainage of moisture from the root zone and can cause plant quality to deteriorate. Built-up moisture in the root zone can quickly lead to root rot, which can seriously compromise or kill the lily.

After flowering is complete, place the lily in an area where ambient temperatures stay between 60 and 65 degrees F. Place the plant where it will receive bright light, but be sure to avoid the glaring light of a sunny, south-southeast-facing windowsill. Keep the lily well-fertilized with a complete fertilizer formulation at each watering. Alternatively, you may want to supply your lily with 1 teaspoon of slow-release fertilizer on the soil surface every six weeks, or irrigate with the liquid portion of “manure tea” made by steeping fresh manure in water.

After all danger of frost has passed, Easter lilies may be grown outside. Prepare a spot in a garden bed that receives full sun and has rich, well-drained soil. Plant the lily a bit deeper than the original pot’s soil line. Mound at least 2 inches of mulch over the area in which the lily is planted. If planting more than one lily, be sure to space plants at least 12 to 18 inches apart. Water plants immediately and thoroughly.

Don’t be surprised to observe that the lily will progressively die back. When all tissue is yellow or brown, cut the stems back to the soil surface. New growth will emerge and you may or may not be rewarded with small blooms toward the end of summer.

Easter lilies are hardy only to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. Overwintering the plant outdoors isn’t possible in Maine, however, you may want to dig your lily from the garden in autumn, repot it, and try your hand at forcing it indoors over the winter months.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941, or e-mail dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.