Species · genus Zantedeschia · Araceae

Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.

Also known as: Altar-Lily · Arum Lily · Common Calla · Lily Of The Nile · Pig Lily

Growth habit

tuberous geophyte

Native range

Cape Provinces, Eswatini, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Northern Provinces

Reference · Z. aethiopica

Cultivars of Z. aethiopica

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under Z. aethiopica yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Zantedeschia aethiopica is a tuberous geophyte from seasonally moist grasslands and marsh margins of southern Africa, storing water in its tuber and resenting standing wet that rots it. Give bright indirect light and water when the top inch of mix has dried, then water thoroughly; let it approach dryness between drinks rather than staying soggy. It may slow or die back seasonally, which is natural for a geophyte and a cue to water more sparingly.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

10–24 °C

Soil mix

Rich, moisture-retentive loamy mix

Propagation

Division of rhizomes in dormancy

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed every 2-4 weeks while in active growth

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Classic white spathe blooms in spring given a bright spot

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Araceae contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate mouth and throat This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Calla Lily yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.