Scientific/Botanical Name:
Genus: Zantedeschia
Specie:
Variety/Cultivar:
English Name:
Common Name:
calla, arum lilyand calla lily
Botanical Family:
Name in Latin: Araceae
Name in English: Arum Family
The Plant
Origin: Native to South Africa, Malawi,The name of the genus was given as a tribute to Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi (1773–1846)
Growth Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant
Flower: showy white, yellow or ponk spathe shaped like a funnel with a yellow central finger- like spadix.
Blooming Period: spring and summer
Leaf: dark green leaves with an arrow head shape, some varieties with spotted leaves
Usage:
grown for their attractive, large flower spathes,
Care and Handling
Soil:
Z. aethiopica can be grown as a marginal plant in water up to 30cm (12in) deep. Use aquatic compost and a 30cm (12in) deep planting basket.
Amount of water: love moisture and they need to be grown in rich, loamy soil that won't dry out too quickly.
Nutrition: fertilize biweekly
Special handling: The hardy forms of zantedeschia are Zantedeschia aethiopica and Z. pentlandii and their cultivars, also called arum lilies. Arum lilies thrive in moist soil in full sun to partial shade. Choose a sheltered position and add some well-rotted organic matter before planting.
The tender forms of zantedeschia are mainly cultivars of Z. elliotiana and Z. rehmannii (also called Elliottiana hybrids and Rehmannii hybrids), but may also include Z. albomaculata and Z. jucunda. These are often referred to as calla lilies. The tender varieties can be displayed either as houseplants or seasonal outdoor bedding displays. They will flower in summer. If used outdoors, you will need to lift the rhizomes before the first frosts and store them over winter before replanting them next spring when the risk of frost is passed. Store them in trays of compost in a cool, dark, frost-free place such as a garage or shed.
Special feature/remarks:
Not a true lily , not an Arum. poisonous - calcium oxalate. Zantedeschia fall into two main types: hardier outdoor forms, often called arum lilies, with striking white flowers; and the more tender forms, typically with white-spotted leaves and pretty flowers in yellow, orange, pink or dark purple. These are often called calla lilies.