calla lily

A tender bulb (rhizome)/ annual plant that produces long stemmed, elegant spathe flowers in white, yellow, pink, purple, and multicolor. Foliage can be arrow shaped with white speckles or narrow and strap like. Typically blooming late spring and early summer, used as a spring or Easter houseplant, summer annual, and cut flower. After a couple fall frosts lift the tubers, let dry in the garage, store in dry peat moss, perlite or shredded newspaper in a box in a cool basement for the winter. Note: the large white Calla Lily (Z. aethiopica) is tolerant of wet soils and can be planted in rain gardens and pond edges.

Grow in sun to part shade areas, well-drained to moist soil. Feed with a slow release fertilizer, Osmocote® or Plant-tone®. Follow label instructions. Deadhead as needed. After leaves yellow in the fall, dig and dry, store tubers in a frost free, dark place such as a basement with dry peat moss. Pot up tubers indoors approximately 4 weeks before the last spring frost. Mulch 2″ to suppress weeds, retain moisture and protect against extremes of soil temperature.