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Araceae
Calla Lily
Zantedeschia aethiopica
Magnificent beauty, purity, rebirth (white); passion (colored varieties).
- Family
- Araceae
- Genus
- Zantedeschia
- Native to
- Southern Africa
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Summer
- Type
- rhizomatous perennial
- Height
- 30–90 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- Rich, moist
- Water
- Regular; can tolerate boggy soil
- Hardiness
- 8–11
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Did you know
- Calla lilies are not true lilies — they belong to the arum family, Araceae.
- The 'flower' is actually a modified leaf (spathe) wrapped around a column of tiny flowers (spadix).
- All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals and are toxic to pets and humans.
- Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of calla lilies in the 1920s made them iconic modern-art subjects.
- In Greek, 'calla' means 'beautiful' — giving the flower its name.