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Calla Lily
Zantedeschia
Calla Lily blooms from June through August.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Calla Lily
Plant it in part sun. It prefers high water. It is hardy in USDA zones 8–10. Expect it to reach about 2.3 ft tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Calla Lily
Calla Lily is tender: plant it out after the last frost, once the soil has warmed. In the middle of its hardy zones 8 to 10 range that means February or March; where spring comes later, it goes out later. Expect flowers from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 9 in February.
Comes in 7 varieties across 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Calla Lily
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Every part is toxic to dogs, cats, horses and people. The calcium oxalate crystals cause intense mouth and throat burning, drooling, swelling and vomiting. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
What looks like one trumpet flower is really a petal-like bract (the spathe) wrapped around a spike of tiny true flowers. So it is no true lily. per NC State
Watering depends on the type
How wet to keep it depends on the type. The white Z. aethiopica is a bog plant that tolerates standing water; colored hybrids rot if kept waterlogged. per NC State and Clemson
Lift the rhizome to overwinter
In climates colder than about zone 8, dig the rhizome after frost, cure it dry for 2 to 3 weeks, then store it frost-free until spring. per Wisconsin
Soft rot kills rhizomes
Bacterial soft rot turns the rhizome slimy and has no cure. The white species resists it far better than the colored hybrids. per Horticulture Research
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits usually leave it alone: the acrid, calcium-oxalate-laden sap that makes it toxic also deters browsing, though very hungry animals may still sample it. per Clemson
Beetle and bee pollinated
The arum-type flowers are pollinated by beetles and bees, with beetles often the main visitors to the spadix. per NC State
What pairs well with Calla Lily
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Gardenia
Shares part sun and high water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Azalea
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Joe Pye Weed
Takes full sun to part sun and high water; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Perennial Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Camellia
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midwinter, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Ironweed
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Poppy Anemone
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; a soft color beside the orange.
Ranunculus
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; a soft color beside the orange.
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