Easter Flowers for a Grave: Lilies, Spring Color and Cemetery Timing

Easter is the first holiday after the long stretch of winter when cemeteries look bare. Snow has gone, the grass has not yet been cut, and the spring clean-up has just cleared whatever was left from Christmas. It is the natural moment to bring color back to a grave, and for many families it is a standing tradition.

Why lilies

The white Easter lily has been the flower of the holiday for well over a century. In church it stands for purity and resurrection; at a grave it carries the same meaning, which is why lilies are also the classic sympathy flower. A white lily arrangement suits any headstone and any faith background, and in silk the trumpets keep their shape instead of browning at the edges within days as fresh lilies do outdoors.

Other Easter and spring choices

• Tulips. The most recognizable spring flower. Pink, yellow and white read well together against a stone.
• Daffodils and hyacinths. Yellow and blue, the colors of an April garden.
• Pastel mixes. Lavender, blush pink, butter yellow and white in one arrangement, the "spring basket" look, works especially well in a saddle on an upright headstone.
• A small cross. Some families add a small floral cross, placed against the stone, for Easter specifically.

Timing around the spring clean-up

This is the part that matters most for Easter. Most cemeteries clear all decorations once in early spring so mowing can begin, typically in March or the first half of April. Easter can fall anywhere from late March to late April, so in some years the clean-up comes just before the holiday, and in others just after.

• If the clean-up is before Easter, flowers placed the week of Easter land on a tidy grave and stay for months.
• If the clean-up is after Easter, flowers placed for the holiday may be removed within a couple of weeks. In that case, aim the delivery for the week after the clean-up date instead, or accept that the Easter flowers are for the holiday itself.

A call to the cemetery office, or a look at the sign at the gate, gives the date. Our guide to cemetery flower rules explains what to ask.

Easter at a national cemetery

Veterans Affairs national cemeteries allow artificial flowers and potted plants in a window around Easter, usually the ten days before and after, in addition to the winter months. That makes Easter one of the few times a silk arrangement can be placed at a veteran's grave in spring. The exact dates are posted by each cemetery.

Starting the year's plan at Easter

Easter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day and Father's Day fall within about ten weeks of each other. Families often choose Easter as the first delivery of a seasonal plan, so that a spring arrangement is followed by one for summer, one for fall and one for the holidays. The grave is never bare and nobody has to remember to order.