Lilium longiflorum

The Easter lily has always been highly regarded in the Church, as Jesus Himself referenced the flower, saying:

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
(KJV, Luke 12:27)

According to legend, "after Jesus' death and resurrection, some of these beautiful flowers were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray the night before His crucifixion. The flowers sprung up where drops of Jesus' sweat fell as he prayed". In many Christian churches, the chancel is adorned with Easter lilies throughout the Paschal season. A poem of the early 1900s titled Easter Lilies describes this custom:

Somewhere while the Easter lilies Swing their perfumed censers white, Softened rays of sunlight falling In lines aslant, and warm, and bright, Shall gild the altar, nave and chancel; Rest with tender roseate ray On the font, enwreathed with lilies For baptismal rites today. Another pilgrim on the journey From the cradle to the tomb, Shall receive a name and blessing While the Easter lilies bloom.   by Mrs. S.R. Allen "Pictures and poems of Arkansas", 1906