Growing Calla Lilies – How to Grow and Propagate Zantedeschia sp.

These tips for growing calla lilies will let you experience their beauty in your garden at a much less cost than from a florist.

Have you ever priced single calla lilies at a florist?  If you have, you will have discovered that they sell for up to $10 a STEM. 

Why pay those kind of prices, when you can become your own florist? – Well sort of, anyway.

Calla Lilies make wonderful indoor plants and come in many colors, as well. Keep reading to find out how to grow this lovely plant.

If you love to grow flowering houseplants, especially those with dramatic blooms, calla lilies are a great choice.

Calla lilies are a favorite with florists, particularly when white, because they are popular for weddings.

Growing calla lilies

Calla lilies are easy to grow and produce gorgeous long stemmed flowers in a wide range of colors.    These tips will help you get the most of of this pretty plant.

Sunlight, soil and watering needs for calla lily

Plant your callas in soil that gets fairly good drainage and is in full sun. Adding compost at planting time is beneficial.  In the hottest zones, you may need some partial shade in the heat of the day.

If your plant came in a pot, check to see if there is more than one rhizome in it.  Many nurseries use smaller tubers and plant several to a pot. 

You can separate them and give them more room to grow or replant into several pots for a better display.

Be sure to wait until all danger of frost has passed.  They should be planted about 3 inches deep, and 6 inches apart, with the growing tip facing up.

Callas like average to moist soil conditions but not soggy soil. Be sure not to let them be dry for too long.

Indoors, calla lilies make great house plants.  They need bright light and a pot that gives them room to grow.  Hold off watering in the winter when the plant is dormant but you can leave the rhizomes in the pot.

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Are calla lilies a bulb?

Calla lily – zantedeschia sp. is considered a rhizome, not a bulb. See my article to help understand the differences between bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers.)

Although not considered a true lily, it certainly has beautiful flower. 

It’s hard to believe that something that grows from an ugly rhizome can produce such a gorgeous display! 

Although many calla lilies are grown as indoor plants, they make a great border plant.

 Calla lily flowers

Calla lilies make great cut flowers so don’t be shy about cutting them.  That is the most popular reason for growing these beauties.

Good quality calla lily tubers can cost up to $10 each or more.  So for the cost of a single flower at the florist, you can grow the tubers that will give you up to a dozen flowers. 

Calla lilies grow in many different colors from white to red. There are even varieties with blooms that are so dark that they look like black plants.

In warm climates, where calla lilies are considered a perennial, the plant will typically flower in early summer. A dose of fertilizer during the growing season will promote blooms.

After blooming, don’t cut the foliage off. Like most bulbs, the leaves will continue to gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year’s display.  You can remove the leaves when they turn yellow.

Are calla lilies poisonous?

Calla lilies contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. If chewed, eaten or swallowed, these crystals cause pain, swelling, difficulty swallowing, and temporary hoarseness to humans.

Calla lily, along with autumn crocus, amaryllis and palm lily are thought to be dangerous to dogs by the ASPCA. If your dog eats them, they can cause gastrointestinal upset, as well as depression and tremors.

In cats, ingestion of calla lilies can irritate your pet’s mouth and esophagus.

There are many plants, both indoor and outdoor plants, that are considered poisonous to people and pets. Some other poisonous plants are:

• Angel trumpet –  brugmansia
• Sago palm
• Dieffenbachia plant
• Gloriosa lily
• Caladiums
• While not considered highly toxic, mandevilla is from the dogbane family, so caution is noted in growing it.

Hardiness for calla lilies

Calla lilies are hardy in zones 8-10.

This means that in zones 8 and warmer you can leave your calla lilies in the ground year round.  In colder zones, they will need to be dug up and stored in peat moss for the winter, (like dahlias and other semi temperate rhizomes and tubers.) 

Some gardeners report that it is possible to grow them in zone 7 with a good layer of mulch over the top.

Calla lily propagation

Propagating calla lilies can be done two ways – by rhizomes and by seeds.  The easiest way is to divide the rhizomes making sure each has roots and eyes attached.

Growing calla lilies from seed can be a challenge but it is possible. Each of the flowers has seeds that are made internally.  When the flowering has finished, the flowers will close up to encase the seed pods. 

Save the whole flower head and cut it off the plant before frost occurs.

There is a YouTube video showing how to use the seeds pods for new Calla Lilies. The man who made the video has many calla lilies and shows how to collect seeds from them.

Do calla lilies multiply?

Do calla lilies spread? Since they grow from rhizomes, calla lilies spread by multiplying and making more rhizomes. You can dig up the rhizomes, divide them and plant them in other areas of your garden.

Even though they do spread, they do so in a way that is quite easy to control.

Pin these tips for growing calla lilies for later

Would you like a reminder of these tips for growing calla lilies?  Just pin this image to one of your flower boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Admin note: this post for growing calla lilies first appeared on the blog in February of 2014. I have updated the post to add all new photos, a printable growing tips card, and a video for you to enjoy.

Yield: 1 happy plant

How to Grow Calla Lilies

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Calla lilies are a favorite with florists, since they are often used as a flower in weddings. However, calla lily stems are very expensive. These tips will show you how to grow them yourself.

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty moderate

Materials

• Calla lily rhizomes
• Compost or other organic matter

Tools

• Watering can or hose

Instructions

1. Plant calla lilies 3-4" deep and 6" apart in well draining soil.
2. Adding compost at planting time is beneficial.
3. Plant in a location with full sun (partial sun for the hottest climates.)
4. Fertilize during the growing season.
5. Bloom time is early to mid summer.
6. Calla lilies are hardy in zones 8-10, and 7 with mulch in winter months.
7. In colder climates, dig up and store the rhizomes indoor in winter.
8. Propagate by division and from seed.
9. Calla lilies are considered toxic to humans, dogs and cats.

Notes

Print out these growing tips for calla lilies and keep them in your garden journal.

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