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Northwest Blooms · Perennials

Zantedeschia aethiopica

Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica
Family
Araceae
Height
24 to 36 inches
Width
18 to 24 inches
Flower color
Pure white funnel shaped spathes surrounding a yellow finger like spadix
Foliage color
Glossy deep green arrow shaped leaves
Bloom time
Spring to early summer, often April to June
Light
Full sun to partial shade
Water
Consistently moist to wet soil
Maintenance
Low; remove spent flowers and yellowing leaves and divide clumps every few years to maintain vigor
Growing zone
USDA zones 8 to 10
Wildlife
Bees, flies and other pollinating insects

About this plant

Zantedeschia aethiopica produces clumps of broad, arrow-shaped leaves with a smooth surface and rich green color that create a lush, upright presence through the growing season. Rising above the foliage in late spring and early summer, elegant white, funnel-shaped blooms unfold around a central yellow column. The sculptural flowers open in graceful curves that hold their form for extended periods, creating a refined display among the bold leaves.

Native to southern Africa, particularly regions of South Africa and Lesotho, Zantedeschia aethiopica grows naturally in moist grasslands and along streambanks. In gardens it lends an elegant accent to borders, waterside plantings, and ornamental beds where the clean white blooms provide seasonal interest.

Works well in

Borders · Cottage Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Rain Gardens · Cut Flower Gardens

Companion plants

Hellebores · Hardy geraniums · Hostas · Ferns · Astilbes · Foxgloves

Design tip

Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.