Calla Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica 'White Giant') is a stunning rhizomatous perennial native to southern Africa that brings architectural elegance to gardens and arrangements. Hardy in zones 8-10, this stemless plant produces large, arrowhead-shaped leaves and distinctive trumpet-shaped white flowers that emerge directly from underground rhizomes. Standing 12-18 inches tall with a similar spread, it blooms from June through September and thrives in moist to wet soils, making it equally at home in rain gardens, water gardens, or containers. The showy blooms are prized for cut flower arrangements, and the plant tolerates both full sun and partial shade, though it prefers part shade in warmer climates.
Partial Sun
Moderate
8-10
18in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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These aren't true lilies at all, but rather arum family members, which explains their exotic trumpet form and dramatic presence. The blooms are reliably popular in florist arrangements, commanding attention with their clean, sculptural lines. Calla lilies thrive in exactly the conditions many gardeners struggle with: wet soil and boggy edges where other plants falter. Plant them 3-4 inches deep and 12-18 inches apart in spring, and they'll reward you with prolific flowering throughout the warmest months.
Calla lilies are grown primarily as ornamental plants, especially valued for cut flower arrangements where their dramatic, long-lasting blooms command attention in bouquets and floral designs. In the garden, they're used as specimen plants in rain gardens, water gardens, and bog plantings where their tolerance for wet soil sets them apart from ordinary border plants. They can also be grown in containers, either outdoors in summer or as houseplants year-round, making them accessible to gardeners in colder climates who lift the rhizomes in fall and store them indoors.
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Plant rhizomes outdoors in spring after the threat of frost has passed, positioning them 3-4 inches deep and 12-18 inches apart in moist to wet soil with full sun to part shade.
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“The genus Zantedeschia was named to honor Giovanni Zantedeschi, an Italian botanist who lived from 1773 to 1846. The genus encompasses six species native to southern and eastern Africa, where calla lilies grow wild in diverse habitats ranging from coastal marshes to montane grasslands and even abandoned homesteads. From these humble origins, many hybrids have been developed over time, expanding the color palette far beyond the classic white and creating varieties suited to different garden conditions and aesthetic preferences. The 'White Giant' cultivar represents the refinement of centuries of cultivation and selection.”