Common Name: calla lily
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Araceae
Native Range: South Africa
Zone: 8 to 10
Height: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Description: Pink with cream blush
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Annual
Flower: Showy, Good Cut
Culture
Easily grown in average, consistently moist, well-draining soil in full sun to part shade. Best growth and flowering in full sun with regular fertilization. Hardy in Zones 8-10. May be grown in a container or planted directly in the garden. In colder climates, the rhizomes can be dug before the first frost and kept indoors in a cool, dark place, similar to cannas and other tender, tropical bulbs.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Zantedeschia rehmannii, commonly called pink arum or simply calla lily, is a stemless herbaceous perennial of the arum family whose flowers and leaves rise to 1.5’ tall from underground tuberous rhizomes. Native to the grasslands and rocky hillsides of eastern South Africa and Swaziland in areas that receive summer rainfall. This species is distinguished from other calla lilies by its spotless, lance-shaped leaves, magenta to pink flower color, and smaller stature. The flowers can reach up to 3" in diameter, and often have a creamy blush at the edge of the spathe. The inner spadix is yellow.
Genus name honors Giovanni Zantedeschi (1773-1846), Italian botanist.
The specific epithet rehmannii honors Anton Rehmann (1840-1917), a Polish geographer and botanist who traveled extensively through South Africa on plant collecting trips.
Problems
Susceptible to rhizome rot. Japanese beetles may feed on the flowers/foliage.
Uses
Sunny mixed borders, pond edges, bulb gardens, cutting gardens, containers.