The Colorful Callas

The cliche "everything old is new again" certainly applies to the Calla lily whose white flowers have appeared in Florida gardens for years. The calla has never been as popular as amaryllis and other bulbous perennials which are available to home gardeners in a wide variety of flower colors. However, through the efforts of plant breeders, callas have been developed in many flower colors and shades such as light pink, yellow, red, purple and numerous shades in between.

Calla lilies originated in Africa and were imported into New Zealand in the early 1900's. Several garden hobbyists were so fascinated with them, that they began a breeding program and developed the colorful callas we see today. As a result of their efforts, the calla lily has become a major commercial flower crop of New Zealand.

Colored calla lilies require 3 years to flower from seed. The seedling produces an underground tuber that requires several years of growth before it is large enough to produce a flower. If flowers are desired the first season, two year old dormant tubers should be planted in the spring in north Florida and in the winter in south Florida. When tubers become dormant in the fall, they can be dug and stored at 45 degrees F for 6 to 8 weeks then replanted or they can be left in the ground.

Three flowers can be obtained on one stem from a 2-year old tuber. Tubers usually develop 2 to 3 leaves initially, which are followed by a flower stalk. If the flower is cut, another leaf will develop from the axils of the first and second leaf, followed by another flower. If multiple stems develop from one tuber, a flower will develop from each stem and if given adequate space and light, 3 flowers can be expected from each stem.

Calla lilies provide superb cut flowers. Under normal conditions in the home, flowers have a vase life of 7 to 19 days. In addition, the foliage of some species is very attractive and can be used in floral arrangements.

The colored calla lilies belong to species that are different from the common white calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica). Among the species that are commercially used as ornamentals, either for landscaping or as cut or pot flowers, are Zantedeschia elliotiana and Zantedeschia rehmannii.

Z. elliottiana, with its creamy yellow and golden yellow shades, can be used for cut flowers and as a landscape specimen. The plant has a monopodial growth habit (where one stem develops from one tuber) the first year it is planted. As the tuber increases in size and divides, multiple stems develop and eventually these develop into a clump of plants.

Z. rehmannii has light to dark pink flowers, a semi dwarf growth habit and a non-monopodial character with multiple stems from each tuber during the first year. This species is widely used as a flowering pot plant because its multiple stem growth habit fills a pot rapidly. The plant has an attractive lanceolate leaf with white markings or streaks throughout the leaf blade. It takes an average of 60 to 70 days for plants to flower when the plants are started from dormant tubers.

In the search for new, novel and exotic flowers for the Florida garden, the colorful calla from New Zealand certainly deserve consideration.


Copyright by Dr. Bob's Gardening Tips