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Calla Lily
Zantedeschia
Calla Lily blooms from June through August.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
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 2.5 ft tall and 1 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, 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, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Calla Lily
Calla Lily is tender: plant it out after the last frost, once the soil has warmed. In zone 9, the middle of its hardy zones 8 to 10, 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; if you garden near zone 9, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 9 in February. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Calla Lily get?
2.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult1 ftwideSee Calla Lily in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
Where these facts come from
Calla Lily's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 14 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia aethiopicaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia rehmanniiheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia 'Black Magic'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia 'Flame'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia 'Fantasia' BE MY FIRST LOVEheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia 'Hawk Eye'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia 'Rubylite Pink Ice'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZantedeschia aethiopica 'White Giant'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State Extensiongenus pageheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolbox - Zantedeschia aethiopicaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Plants For A FutureZantedeschia aethiopicaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center - Calla...height, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- SANBI PlantZAfricagenus pageheight, sun and trait tags
- SANBI PlantZAfricaZantedeschia aethiopicaheight, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 7 varieties across 5 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Calla Lily group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Star Calla | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 24 in × 12 in |
| Callathis page | White | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Mango Calla | Orange | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 24 in × 12 in |
| Picasso | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Pink Calla | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Purple Calla | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 24 in × 12 in |
| Red Calla | Red | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 24 in × 12 in |
| Yellow Calla | Yellow | Jun–Aug | Zones 8–10 | Part sun | 24 in × 12 in |
Good to know about Calla Lily
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
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 4 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 4 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 6 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 5 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 6.5 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 5 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
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 white.
Flowering Dogwood
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; its white flowers settle the white; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
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