Calla Lily
There are six species of Zantedeschia (lets call them calla lily from now on) and a group simply known as cultivars. For the most part, gardeners are growing the hybrid cultivars (cultivar=cultivated variety) as these make the best garden performers.
To begin with, this Zantedeschia calla lily is not too hardy either. The crowns will die somewhere around 25F (-4C). This means they will tolerate a light frost in the fall but will not overwinter outdoors in cold climates. Some times you can grow this plant as a houseplant during the winter but it does best if kept cool (50F) and allowed to dry down between waterings.
Under this regime, a calla will go dormant (the leaves will all go brown) and if allowed to rest unfrozen and unwatered will start growing again in the spring when the temperatures warm up and water is freely available.
Watering when dormant will lead to rotting.
One gardener says she treats them like dahlias for the winter and has great success. I grew them in pots for several years and never took them out of the pot; they stayed dry and cool all winter to regrow in the spring when put back outside (after all danger of frost).
For best results
For best results, grow this Z-calla lily in a moist, fertile soil that is rich in organic matter. This can either be in the ground or potted on a deck. It will grow the best in full sun although if grown in the ground a bit of noonday shade is ideal. If trying to grow the calla lily in a dryer garden (not a good idea) then it can tolerate more shade.
Youll sometimes see Zantedeschia aethiopica Green Goddess available and it is green leaved variety with a green spathe with white centre.
Varieties that are readily found include
Apple Court dwarf growth habit, white spathe
Aztec Gold spathe bright orange to reddish
Best Gold spathe large and golden yellow
Black Magic spathe yellow, throat is black
Bridal Blush spathe is cream with pink tones
Cameo spathe is peach, black throat
Carmine Red spathe is deep carmine
Dusky Pink spathe light pink
Harvest Moon spathe is pale lemon yellow
Lavender Petite spathe is plum edged with blush pink
Majestic Red crimson red spathe
Maroon Dainty plum spathe with paler throat
Do you have a question about Calla Lily?
Custom Search