Top 5 Plants for Easter & Passover (and How to Keep Them Alive)
These classic Easter and Passover plants may need a little extra attention this year because the holidays are falling earlier than usual.
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Spring is here, and so are plenty of gorgeous flowers. Whether one of these seasonal favorites caught your eye or you received one as a holiday gift, here are five of the most common Easter and Passover plants, and how to care for them.
1. Easter Lilies
One of the most iconic Easter plants is the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum). Known for its large white trumpet-shaped flowers and strong fragrance, it’s also a perennial. However, do not plant it outside until all danger of frost has passed, because it’s blooming several months ahead of its natural schedule.
Easter lilies will stay green through most of the summer and return next year with blooms from June to August.
Warning: Lilies in the Lilium genus are extremely toxic to cats.
2. Hydrangeas
Gift hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are often sold in pink or blue and are another popular Easter plant that's encouraged to bloom in greenhouses (weeks earlier than they naturally do outdoors). These “floral hydrangeas” bloom a much smaller size than normal too so make sure to move these outdoors after the last frost. Once planted, they’ll grow sturdier outdoor leaves and re-bloom next summer.
Note: Hydrangeas require a winter dormancy period, so they are not suitable as year‑round indoor plants.
3. Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a colorful succulent sold around Easter for its bright yellow, red, and pink blooms. It’s very forgiving and prefers bright light (think a south or west-facing windowsill) and well‑drained soil.
Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings, since kalanchoe stores water in its leaves. Overwatering is the most common issue.
4. Calla Lilies
These charming perennials (botanically known as Zantedeschia) are part of the Arum family, like peace lilies and caladiums. They make great houseplants but will go dormant in winter, losing all or most of their leaves.
Calla lilies prefer to spend the warmer months outdoors in a spot that avoids harsh afternoon sun. They bloom sporadically through summer, with their heaviest bloom in spring.
Because they are subtropical, calla lilies cannot survive a cold winter. For best results, bring them into a garage or indoors after the first autumn freeze.
5. Spring Bulbs & Annuals
Some of the best spring gifts are plants that love cooler weather and can thrive indoors or outside.
Spring bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips make perfect holiday centerpieces. After the blooms fade, plant them directly in the ground or in outdoor containers. Allow the foliage to die back naturally; this fuels next year’s growth. They’ll fade by May or June and return the following spring.
Pansies are another fantastic cool‑weather annual. They can survive temperatures in the low-20s, though flowers may be damaged after a hard freeze if they were greenhouse‑grown. Pansies usually fade in June or July but can sometimes return in autumn with another burst of blooms.
Primrose are a very underused perennial. The blooms are most vigorous in late March - May, but it will sporadically bloom in Autumn. The plants disappear during the winter and reappear each March for another season of blooms!
About Pat’s Farms Garden Center
Pat’s Farms Garden Center is located next to Pat’s Farms Market, which served the community for more than 40 years. The supermarket offered plants for many seasons, but in 2022, Pasquale Tuosto opened the dedicated Garden Center to provide high‑quality plants at great prices.
Pat’s Farms Garden Center offers annuals, perennials, tropicals, vegetables, and houseplants, along with tools, pottery, and garden supplies. The nursery also features seasonal décor and a full floral section with ready‑made or custom bouquets and arrangements.
