Bermuda is credited with introducing the Easter lily to the United States in the late 19th century.
The plant known as the Easter lily is Lilium longiflorum, a white trumpet-shaped lily native to Japan. It became associated with Easter because its white flowers were linked in Christian symbolism with purity, resurrection, and new life.
The lily reached Bermuda, where it was cultivated and became known commercially as the Bermuda lily. American soldier and horticulturist Louis Houghton brought bulbs from Bermuda to the United States in 1898. Commercial production later expanded, especially after World War I disrupted the supply of imported Japanese bulbs.
Bermuda is therefore connected with the plant’s American horticultural history, not its original botanical origin. The species itself originated in Japan. This distinction prevents a common mix-up between the island that helped popularize it in the United States and the country where the lily is native.