There are 8 species and numerous cultivars of 'Calla lily'. They are herbaceous, bulbous perennials with long, arrow-shaped leaves; some species have leaves with beautiful, window-like translucent spots. The uniquely shaped flower heads, consisting of small flowers in a spadix surrounded by a spathe, make great cut flowers. The spathe is usually white or green, but cultivars exist with yellow, pink, red, and purple hues. They bloom from late spring to early summer. These plants can be grown in full sun to 25% shade and prefer moist, humus-rich soil, doing well in boggy areas. They may not perennialize during cold winters, so provide a thick organic mulch and prepare to dig the corms to store for the winter if grown outside in cooler climates. They make good container plants and can be grown indoors. When planting, cover the rhizomes to a depth of 2 in. (5 cm) and space 18 in. (45 cm) apart. They can be propagated by separation of cormels or by sowing collected seed in the fall. 'Calla lily' is a member of the Arum family and is poisonous if eaten.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Arrow-shaped, some with translucent spots
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange; Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Spadix
Flower detail
Flowers small, in a spadix surrounded by a (commonly) white spathe. Blooms in late spring to early summer.