Calla lily
The calla is the sculptural flower — a single elegant curve of a spathe wrapping a yellow spadix. White callas are the classic wedding flower for minimal, modern brides; the coloured 'mini' callas (burgundy, near-black, sunset-orange) have expanded the design vocabulary. Stems curve naturally toward light — a feature to use, not fight.
| Family | Araceae |
|---|---|
| Origin | Southern Africa; commercially grown Netherlands, New Zealand, Colombia |
| Peak season | April, May, June |
| Availability | all year (imported) |
| Stem length | 30–90 cm |
| Vase life | 7–14 days |
| Colors | white, cream, yellow, orange, peach, pink, burgundy, purple, near-black |
| Price tier | mid |
Cut on a diagonal, place in shallow cool water — deep water rots the stem.
- •Hollow stem — do not submerge; keep water shallow (5 cm)
- •Refresh water every 24 hours
- •White callas (Zantedeschia aethiopica) can grow to 90+ cm — architectural
- •Coloured mini-callas are shorter (30–50 cm) — for bouquets and boutonnieres
4 named calla cultivars from the Lacy Bird master catalogue — each a distinct commercial variety.
Entries marked ✦ come from the Acanta master catalogue — the shared database of cut flowers, forms, colours and named varieties that florists and studios build on. The rest are our editorial genus reference. What is Acanta →
Bouquet Builder — by Lacy BirdDesign the bouquet. See it as a photo.
Botanical reference
- Common name
- Arum Lilies
- Also known as
- arum lily, Arodes, Colocasia, Houttinia, Otosma, Pseudohomalomena, Richardia
- Distribution
- Angola, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, DR Congo, Eswatini, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique
- Cold storage
- 0–1 °C
- Ethylene sensitivity
- sensitive
Open-data sources: GBIF, Wikidata (CC0/CC BY), USDA Agriculture Handbook 66 (public domain)
Frequently asked questions
When is Calla lily in season?
Calla lily peaks in April, May, June, and florists can usually source it all year (imported). Availability shifts by region and greenhouse supply.
How long does Calla lily last in a vase?
Expect 7–14 days with proper conditioning — a clean vase, fresh water every couple of days, flower food, and a cool spot away from ripening fruit and direct heat.
What can I use instead of Calla lily?
Good substitutes for Calla lily include Anthurium, Asiatic Lily. Match on look, colour and season — our substitute finder ranks the closest alternatives.
What does Calla lily symbolise?
Calla lily is associated with magnificence, beauty, purity.
How do you care for cut Calla lily?
Hollow stem — do not submerge; keep water shallow (5 cm)
Related flowers
Free to quote and cite with attribution and a link back, for non-commercial and editorial use (blogs, journalism, classrooms, research).
Lacy Bird Flower Encyclopedia — “Calla lily”. https://lacybird.com/flowers/calla-lily/<a href="https://lacybird.com/flowers/calla-lily/">Lacy Bird Flower Encyclopedia — Calla lily</a>