I received a potted Calla lily as a gift and don’t know anything about it. I would like some information on how to care for it.
Potted Calla lilies will usually bloom for 4-6 weeks. They grow well in bright filtered light in the winter months and partial shade in the summer and prefer temperatures of 70-85F in summer and 60-75F in the winter/spring. Cooler temperatures will help keep the plant and flowers longer.
Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Wet soil can lead to a fungus rot that affects the roots and rhizome. It is important to allow the water to drain from the bottom of the pot. During active growth and blooming feed your Calla every 2-3 weeks with a well-balanced fertilizer. 
After bloom care
When the plant stops blooming and the leaves start to yellow and die back, reduce watering and let the soil dry. Clip off all brown foliage and store the tubers in a cool (45-50F) dry area for a resting period of 2-3 months and as long as 8-10 months. This period is important for tuber renewal.
Calla tubers/bulbs can also be stored in paper bag or cardboard box in slightly moistened peat, perlite or vermiculite. In late winter/spring, replant the tuber in pots of fresh, well-drained soil mix. Colored callas planted in the spring will bloom in summer and then go dormant in the fall.
Hardiness
If you live in zone 7-10, Calla lily can also be planted anytime outdoors and left year round. Space the tubers 1-1 1/2 feet appart so they have room to spread.
In zone 7-8, provide additional mulch in the winter for added protection.
In cooler climates, calla lilies should be dug up before the first frost or after the foliage withers.
more on calla lily…http://hortchat.com/info/calla-lilies
From the reader archive
Useful reader questions
My husband just gave me a beautiful pot of mini Calla Lillies (the blooms come up white, unfurl into a pink flower and darken to a lavender as the flower matures) for Valentine’s Day. I prefer living plants to cut flowers, since…
Read CJ Wolfe discussionI purchased 1 fairly large, potted, colored calla lily about 3 weeks ago. I repotted it into 3 pots containing about 3-4 stems in each pot. After reading the care instructions from the store, I placed all pots on my front porch…
Read LaTanya discussionDying foliage A week ago I received a beautiful potted yellow calla lily as a gift. At the time, the plant had 13 to 15 bright yellow blooms on it. I took it to work and put it next to the window…
Read Bennett discussionI received a white mini calla lilly potted for valentines day, and i am trying so hard to keep it going, i live in an apt and it sits by the patio door (inside) i repotted the plant thinking it would grow…
Read Allison discussion
I received a lovely potted calla lily for valentines day and there a few large flowers, and several little ones coming up. the large ones are drooping now (are they spent) and some (only a small portion) of the leaves are good one day and then completely drooped and falling off the next, all of them from near where the plant comes up out of the soil and these specifically look a little damaged, i gave my plant a little more water and put it in more sun this morning was that right? should i remove the dying leaves and cut out the large drooping flowers???
Bacterial soft rot
I bought a potted Calla Lily plant at a local farmer’s market. I was told it would work in my no window, fluorescent light office… but 2 weeks later the leaves are turning yellow and oozing a clear chemical that smells like cleaning alcohol. There are two flowers on the plant that seem to be flourishing, but the smell is giving me a headache and leaving clear liquid on my desk. HELP! What am I doing wrong?
Seed pod
Hi, I have a mini calla lilly plant which stopped blooming. Now there are green bulbs inside some of the leaves. Is this the plants way of reproducing? What are they and what should I do? Thanks 🙂
I have a Calla Lilly I recently purchased and it has a leaf turning yellow. Shhould I remove it along with the stem. I have moved the plant to a filtered south window.
Thanks a lot. Before I had read everything on this site I planted the Calla Lily in a different pot. It was root bound and I had always been told to cut back some of the roots. Will I have harmed my plant. I did not cut the roots back much.
Dripping leaves
I received a potted Calla Lilly for Mother’s Day. I recently repotted into larger container indoors. The plant has done fine but in the last two days i”m noticing clear liquid( with no odor) dripping from the ends of the leaves. Is something going wrong?
Hi, I purchased a Calla Lilly that was beautiful. However, i put it outdoors in a bright shaded area and i noticed that it started to wilt by the end of stem? I then bought it inside and it didn’t do any better? It’s in a pot with drainage and i keep it moist? What am i doing wrong?
Thx, Florida
I have to tie the stems up on my Calla Lily so they will not fall down. Is the plant dying?I still have new Green coming up in the dirt. Never had this kind of problem with a plant.Is the Calla Lily a hard plant to grow? Could something have been wrong with it when I bought it. I have it in a North window now. It was in a south window. It does not look like the plant I bought.
Too hot
I live in Palm Springs and as most know, it can get over 100 degrees here in the desert. I have my calla lily outside, but in the shade. I water it every few days to keep it moist. Ive noticed its starting to turn brown and droop a little. Is that due to the heat or the watering? I read that it needs sun, the sun burns it too quickly.
Please help me.
Stems bending over
My calla lily blooms are bent over. Does it need more sun. it is on the east side of my home. Also , I have noted a pod growing in the center of the flower. How do I get it to bloom more for this summer?. I am in Cincinnati, Ohio
Flopping blooms
all of the blooms on my calla lily started shriveling up and dieing and i paniced but now i think they are just need to be clipped since it also put out three new leaves so do i wait for the blooms to become yellow and dead since they have fallen over but the bloom itself is fine and so is the plant?
*Storing calla tubers
When a calla lily goes dormant what care does it need? Mine was pinkish – would you call this colored? Thank you.
I received a potted lavender/purple calla lily plant last month, and will be moving in the next month or so. How can I ensure that the plant survives the trip, or will I need to just take the bulbs? What is the best way to save this gorgeous plant from the stress of travel and new climate? Moving from Arizona to mid-west. Thanks!
It’s starting to develop the yellow leaves now, as you’ve said, and I’ll let it dry out a great deal before the trip. Thanks so much for your help!
Dormancy
Hi! I just received a colored calla lily, and I’ve been reading that they bloom in the summer then go dormant in the fall – but it’s February, and it’s blooming (gorgeously)! When should I expect it to go dormant, so I don’t think I killed it and throw it away (I’ve done that with other plants before!)?
Thanks!
Planting time
My Friend bought me a potted calla lily plant as a going away gift. I wanted to plant it in the ground because I am not very good with potted plants. WHen is the best time to do that and what kind of care should I give it?
bloom die before opening
I bought a calla lily a couple weeks ago, and it’s had several blooms, but they die before they even open. What am I doing wrong?
From planting to bloom time
I just bought a bulb and would like to have it blooming in July to use for my sister’s wedding. How long does a bulb generally take from planting until bloom?
I live in Texas, so I am in the process of getting my bulbs going again. I am new to calla lilies, so I am not sure what is normal. After the leaves died in the late fall, I cut off the plant to the ground to allow it to go dormant, and have not watered the pot all winter. I watered a little starting about a week ago. Today, I went to dig up one of the bulbs and the bulb was white and mushy and fell apart when I tried to move it. Any idea what it might be? I have 3 other bulbs in the same container so I am wondering if they have any chance of coming back. I appreciate any advice! They are wonderful flowers, so I really hope they come back!
I bought a beautiful white calla lilly in a pot and we planted it in a planter outside. It is doing very well and has beautiful flowers. There are a few flowers that the petals are turning brown but there are more flowers coming up. Are we supposed to cut the flowers off once they start dying? Will this help spur more growth of flowers? Thanks for any advice.
Hi Charlene
Yes, cut the flowers off, it will help stimulate more flowers. Use a sharp knife and cut the flower and stem.
I bought a calla lily a month ago and I re potted to a 7″ diameter a 6 1/2 ” tall pot.Do you think it will be fine or should I get a bigger pot.
transplant shock
I just planted a couple of Black Jack Calla Lily’s yesterday that I got from my mother’s funeral and they are wilting. I am in zone 7 and they get sun until 1:30 pm. Do you think they may just be going through shock right now? I really don’t want to loose them. These are the first calla’s I’ve ever planted in the same soil my hydrangea and hosta are in and those plants always do well. Thanks for any info!
I have a small calla lily pot. I keep it indoors. It had been doing fine blooming, full of life then I noticed slowly it was turning yellow. So I put it in the shade cut back its water supply. Snipped all the dead leaves. Then today I noticed it wasn’t getting better. So I ran my fingers on the leaves and noticed there were little nat like yellow insects under the leaves. A lot of them. What are they and where could they have came from?
Plant calla bulb
Can you please tell me how to tell the top from the bottom of the
callalily bulb, how do i know how to plant
Overwatering
I bought a colored Calla Lily about 2 weeks ago. I live in North Carolina and had it inside for the first few days and had read that they needed plenty of water. I think I over watered it because soon after the leaves started to yellow and so I took it outside for more light, but then all the stems and leaves started to fall off at the soil where they had becme mushy. I dug up the bulb tonight and there is one slight soft spot on it, but it mostly seems firm still. I have it sitting on the top of the soil right now to try and dry it out some. What should I do next? Can it be saved and replanted sometime soon? PLEASE HELP!
i bought my wife a potted purple calla lilly for her birthday since its her favorite flower. we live in miami, florida (hot and humid) and we are trying to figure out how to care for it. do we leave it inside with AC running between 73-77 degrees and little sun or do we put it on our balcony in the sun or in the shade where it can be 80-95 degrees? please help! I dont want it to die! thank you!
Hi! My sister bought me a calla lily and it’s not very well. Reading everything above I think its got soft rot. Had to repot it and the bulb was soft, and the leaves and flowers keep drooping and going soft as well. When they do, the smell reminds me of rotting fish. Is there anything that can be done to try and save it? I’ve tried not to get it too wet, and kept it as cool as possible, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. Please help!
Hi there,
I just bought some mixed Calla Lilies (pink, white, purple) and I live in Upstate New York. I was wondering if you thought there was any hope that my calla lilies would bloom this summer if I planted them immediately? Thank you!
Size pot
I bought a potted pupal calla lily last fall it was at the end of its blooming cycle and i allowed it to go dormant over the winter. I live in Idaho so its is just starting to stay warmer. I was wondering what size of pot and what kind of soil I should replant it in its not really growing or anything yet but the bulb has sprouts starting. Thanks for any information.
I bought a bright pink calla lily last May. It grew well, bloomed and then went dormant. It recently began blooming again, but for some reason, the flowers are white. I recall the tag mentioning something about the vibrance of the color in relation to some external factor, but can’t remember what. I would love to see that beautiful pink color again, but don’t know what to change. The plant is thriving (although the flowers are so tall I’ve had to stake them to keep them from falling over). Any advice is appreciated.
Hi Andrea
Perhaps it needs more sun light. Full sun promotes brighter colors.
Leaves turning brown
It is a potted peace lilly and the leaves are turning brown. Thanks.
Thanks, I did repot it, I’ll Have to watch the watering. I would like to know if I should cut the brown leaves off, or leave it alone?
Removing callas
I have a huge white calla lilly which was here when we moved in in 1961. It needs moving because it gets to much sun and the leaves turn yellow but how on earth do I get all of the tubers out of the ground. Heard all I had to leave was a small piece of the tuber and it would grow into more calla lillies which I definitly do not need. Would screening the soil help? My husband has suggested Round Up which would be the very last resort if at all.
In the meantime I need to tye them up. What configuration of posts do you recommend?
Fertilizer? Do you mean plant food? What type? what should I get for my Calla?
Keep worn out bulbs
I have potted my bulbs in pots for a number of years and bring them in the garage in the fall (Minnesota winters). I have alot of green leaves but limited bulbs. I had gotten the bulbs a number of years ago from someone. Should I toss these bulbs and start over with new ones?
hi,
I got a purple calla lily pot as a gift in the month of September. It already had flowers, but within two days of receiving, the tubers have started to bend towards the ground and are no more stiff as I had received them. I live in Michigan.
It seems from the previous comments, that this is the time for the calla lilies to go dormant. I don’t know whether I should keep them in the sun or indoors. Right now I keep them out during the day in the sun and take them indoors at night when it gets a little cooler. But still the tubers not gaining strength. I try not to over water them. It also seems to me that there are more than one bulb in the pot. The plant is 2feet high and 1 feet diameter.
Please help me and suggest me something. I cannot let them just go dormant, or is it something else that’s wrong with them. I really like them and would love to see them flowering.
Thanks
Too shady
I live in Nebraska and recieved a Cala Lily for Mothers day a year ago.I planted outside after blooming and it over wintered and came up this summer but just leaves, no flowers. It is next to the house and on the south side so well protected but also have a hibicus planted next to it and am wondering if it is too shady? Thanks
I purchased a chocolate calla lily in bloom in a pot last year. I did not cut the flowers but allowed it to go dormant. I live in NC and kept the plant inside during the winter. This spring, the plant began to flourish and I had beutiful foliage but not a single bloom. I moved it outside in partial sun for the summer. It has now gone dormant again and I have brought it back inside. What should I do to get those beautiful blooms back in the spring?
Re: calla frost induced dormancy
A thought just occurred to me as I reread my statement. Perhaps I should place the plant in a place where I will also cut off the water supply. Right now it is in the open and getting rain fall to sustain it. Would putting it in a dimly lit shed until the foliage dies back work?
Hello! I just received a red calla lily for valentines day and am wanting to make it last as long as possible. I have it in an east facing window so it gets direct sun in the mornings until about noon. Some of the blooms are starting to lean and dont seem as brightly colored as the older blooms. Ther are some new blooms coming in that seem to be doing well. Can you give me any tips on transplnting this out of the store bought plastic container to a better pot, and the best way to care of it.
Thank you..
I received a white mini calla lilly potted for valentines day, and i am trying so hard to keep it going, i live in an apt and it sits by the patio door (inside) i repotted the plant thinking it would grow healthier, but the leaves are turning yellow & the flowers are turning brown at the top and drooping over.. the average temperature in the house is 70 degrees & i live in florida.. am i not giving the plant enough sun? i was reading some comments about overwatering bc i noticed some droplets on the end of the leaves, so should I stop watering and let it dry the soil? should i water from the bottom or directly on the top.. am i just someone who can’t grow these ? haha.. i don’t want them to die, but not sure how to get them to bloom and from not dying.. how long do the blooms usually last? and will more start to grow?
Grow calla in So. Tx
is it better, in your opinion, to grow calla lilies indoors or outdoors in south texas.
Hi. I received a pink calla lily plant in a pot for Valentines Day. They were perfectly fine until I decided to bring it home with me for a week for my spring break. They went limp during the car ride. I don’t know what to do. They are not dying. However, for past three weeks, there have been no new blooms, just a lot of leaves. What should I do? I have been watering it regularly. The soil is nice and moist. I just fed it some Miracle Grow. Help!
Calla flowers turned green
I have a potted mini calla lilly but sadly all her flowers have turned green as her leaves. am i giving too much water or too little light or is she dying? I would like to save her.
Hi! So i bought a large white calla almost 2 yrs ago for inside. since it did so well i bought a large red calla 9 months ago. they both do not go dormant, blooming all year. but now my white calla does not want to bloom at all. at this very moment there are no blooms but great looking leaves. i’m guessing this is there time to rejuvenate. but my question is, is there a dominant color? will my red callas some how stop my white callas from blooming? or should i just continue proper care like repotting, lightly cutting back roots, fertilize, you know all that good stuff. and just hope for the best.
So my husband bought me some light purple calla lilies and i noticed that in the big flower there are two other petals growing inside of it i thought it was crazy does that happen very often? So far taking care of it is very easy and its the first plant i have actually owned and they are my favorite flower so im trying to keep them alive as possible and its growing like crazy!
Hi Sydnie
It can happen. Enjoy!
I bought 3 pots of colored cala lillies.Thery are in full bloom and tall.I’m wondering if I need to repot them to a bigger pot right away.Looks like the height is not proportioned to its pot.Please advise.Thank you
I got a small white flower calla lily and I would like to plant it to a bigger pot. Is there any summer flowers/ annuals that would go well with a calla.
Thanks!
Hi Anu
You need to match the same growing conditions; caladiums, impatiens
Flowers with brown, crispy edge
Hi there,
I live in Switzerland and bought a potted white Cala Lily about 4 weeks ago. When I bought it, it had one amazing flower. I repotted it immediately as it came in a tiny pot. Ever since then the white part of the flower has gone brown and crispy. The plant itself still looks in good shape. I did have to remove two yellowing leaves from the very base of the stem today. It’s in a partially shady spot on my south facing balcony and is in a 12 inch well drained pot. What am I doing wrong?!
Drooping flower stems
Hello. My boyfriend bought me some calla lilies. I love them, but I know NOTHING about them or gardening for that matter. My question is, is it normal for the lilies to be drooping? As in weighing themselves down? They aren’t dying as far as I can tell but I’m just curious if this is their natural way. I did put a stick and some hemp string to try and keep it upright but I’m not sure if this is something that’s unnecessary. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
hello, I lived in the Great Central Valley with great weather. I planted some flower bulbs not knowing what will be the out come of the flowers in early Febuary, and now it finally have its first bloom, suprisly, its a calla lily after some research on my new surprise, and everything is going great with the plant, along with the information I gathered here. But I just want to know about apprx. how many flowers will blooms under one calla lily plants? and if its potted, will the quanity of flowers bloom be affected, compared to planting calla lily outdoor?
Hi Kris,
I have another success story to share – many years ago I bought a Calla lily bulb which has never flowered. I persisted with the feeding, growing, dormant stages and each year, it grew more leaves. This year when I re-potted, I noticed the bulb had grown quite large, and subsequently has thrown up 3 separate plants, which have grown healthy leaves. 2 days ago, I was thrilled to notice one of them has finally bloomed a pristine white Calla flower! I am hopeful the other 2 might also bloom this time around.
For all those out there with potted Callas in north facing homes with poor sun – I placed the pot on a window sill that gets about an hour of sunshine in the morning and again in the evening. I also left the pot there right through winter, and that winter cold from the glass was enough to chill the bulbs during the dormant period I guess.
If anyone has any additional care instructions to keep these going, I would appreciate the advice. Thanks and happy blooming!
My flowers are turning brown and I know I should cut them off, but where should I cut them? All the way at the base or a little higher?
Hello,
I received a potted Calla Lily as a gift last October. After the flowers died, I stopped watering and put it in a dark place to let it go dormant for the winter. I took it out in March and it had already started growing (little sprout) so I started watering and feeding it and the plant is full of big green leaves but no flowers. How do I get it to bloom and when should it bloom? (I live in Southern Ontario, Canada) Thanks!
Hello,
I have two potted Calla Lily plants in my back yard which receive partial shade. I’ve noticed that after a couple weeks several of the leaf and flower stems are getting soggy and mushy to the point where they can’t stand up and pull out with ease. Am I watering too much or is this a disease? Any way to salvage what’s left?
Thanks!
Browning leaves
I bought a cala lily a week ago,The edges of the leaves are turning brown,please help.I live in Pa,and we have had acouple windy days
Hi. Bought three calla lillies about 2′ high in pots (Zantedeschia), two yellow, one rust,one white all blooming. I will have to keep them as indoor plants as I live in a colder climate. After allt he reading will this work:
I have to have them in east window
Will water weekly not a soaking water
Will fertilizer with 20 20 20 every two weeks
Will cut off dying flowers and yellow leaves
I will change the soil every year in the spring OR
Do I have to take them out of the pot and put bulbs away.
They do have some yellow leaves with some black spotting?
Thank you. Carole
I bought a “Flame” colored Calla Lily bulb. The first bloom was yellow with tints of orange. The second bloom has been yellow only. I understand there will be yellow in the mix, but how can I get the bloom to be more orange?
hi. my mother recieved a purple calla lily when my 23 year old sister passed a month ago. the plant looks lhealthy i live in north carolina north west of charlotte. i am very confused on how to properly place it. so far it has only produced one or two blooms at a time. right now we are sitting it on our patio. it is partially shaded. no direct sunlight. i have read in earlier post that it works best in 75 degree weather. right now we are having a heat wave where it is in the 90’s everyday. but there is no where for full sunlight in the house only filtered. should i leave it outside or bring it in. this plant it very special. i do not want to do anything wrong. ty in advance!!
Flowers turning green
Hi ~ I purchased a Yellow Calla Lily for my mom (and got one for myself) for Mother’s Day… I re-planted mine in a pot and it’s on my front porch (I live in Maryland and it gets afternoon sun) it’s blooming again, but some of the blooms turned back to green and fell. Should I cut them off or are they ok? and as I read here I’m guessing I should take this IN over the winter and find it a warmer window spot?? Thanks for any/all help Diana
Dying Calla
Hi.I bought a potted calla lily 4 months ago and expecting to see blooms, however, it turned its stem to droop its flushing leaf dying but good I found a split or a new stem.
I placed my calla in a netted green-house together with anthuriums. All the plants are healthy (as we fertilized, control pest & diseases- regularly) but just lately its only my calla dying.
Lately,frequent rains were experienced in our backyard and I suspect it was attack by fungus or bacteria. How is this?
Thank you
Willy C
My husband bought me a yellow Calla Lily plant, right now the blooms are green with seeds inside. I need help deciding where to start. I live in Kansas with summer temperatures of 85-100 degrees. Do I keep it inside (south facing windows) or outside in a garden facing west with little shade. Any help would be great.
Dividing white calla in pots
Hello,
I received a zantedeschia aethipica (I believe this means large white calla) a year ago and had issues with it drooping and turning brown so I cut it all back. Then prayed to the calla gods because I was certain I killed it. Well guess what? I have sprouts! There are probably ten or more in a 10″ pot so I added some potting soil as I could see the bulb. Well, now I am worried there are too many sprouts in a small area. Do you suggest I break them a part and repot them. If so, how many sprouts per pot, how big should the pots be, and do you know the appropriate calla god I should be praying to?
Thank you for your help,
Nichole
No blooms
i got a purple calla lily plant last year. It went through the dormant stage. I brught it out in the living room and began watering it. In no time at all I had stalks and leaves, but it’s been 2 months and still no blooms. What did i do wrong?
Store the tubers
My boyfriend got me a colored (purple) calla lily for Valentine’s Day and it has been doing really great and after some researching I realize it is now going into it’s dormant stage. Most of the year, I’m away at college in IL, I’m not sure how to go about taking care of it while it’s dormant. Does it need much care, or I just leave it alone until it is time to bring out for spring? I also do not have a basement, any alternate places I can store the pot until spring? Any other advice on dormancy would be very helpful, I don’t have much of a green thumb. Thank you
Leave flower stalk
My plant’s leaves are dropping and flowers spent. Once I remove the dead flowers, can the stalks stay in the pot during its resting period?
Hello, i got a potted Colored Calla lily. It seemed to be fine at 1st. then the flower part is turnin yellow. I keep it moist. Open the window sometimes to let it get light. One of the flowers are really yellow and i think bout to fall off. the leaves are dying to, do i need to cut the leaves back and cut the tops of the flowers? i dont kno what to do.
transpiration
My purple Calla Lily is dripping water from the tip of the leaves – is this because it is too wet?
Tall stems bending over
Hello–
From all that I have read, I think I have watered my Calla Lily too much, as the leaves are all turning yellow and the purple blooms ar growing on very tall stems and leaning over. Once this happens, is there any way to revive them or resurrect them? All the blooms look healthy but the the leaves are all yellow. Should I just cut them and put them is a vase?
Hi,
I bought a calla lily while it was fully bloomed (bright yellow) and transferred it into a different pot (this is the first time I’ve ever cared for a calla lily). About two weeks after I had transferred it to the different pot, the lily began to slowly close up, I’m assuming it had reached it’s dormant life? After almost 4 weeks the lily has completed wilted. The leaves still look really healthy though! Will another calla lily bloom? Should I remove the wilted lily?
Dying foliage
A week ago I received a beautiful potted yellow calla lily as a gift. At the time, the plant had 13 to 15 bright yellow blooms on it. I took it to work and put it next to the window (indirect sunlight) in my office. Within a week many of the blooms have begun to wither and dry around the edges and several of the leaves have begun to yellow. I trimmed the dying foliage and the stalks seemed oversaturated. I don’t think I’ve been over-watering it, and I let the water drain out of the bottom. I’ve never had a calla lily, or really any other kind of plant before, so I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I know they go dormant in the fall, but the plant just seemed to wilt so rapidly after receiving it. Any suggestions would be appreciated, I would like to be able to keep and enjoy it for as long as possible. Also, what kind of plant food is recommended for this type of plant?
Just purchased several orangeish gold calla lilies in 4″(?) pots. If I repot now, will it hurt the bloom? Should I leave as is until they stop blooming, and repot, or also wait until leaves die back?
I live in San Diego, and would keep in pots (not plant in ground). How to winterize here? Foliage is pretty, wish it would stay year round.
Thank you
Hardy zoneI got a Calli Lily when I was in the hospital, I planted it on the southeast side of my house and it is awesome. My question is do I cut it off at ground level before the first freeze or do I just leave it alone. I live in Northeast Missouri or zone 5
My husband just gave me a beautiful pot of mini Calla Lillies (the blooms come up white, unfurl into a pink flower and darken to a lavender as the flower matures) for Valentine’s Day. I prefer living plants to cut flowers, since I like planting them outdoors once the weather warms up here in Eastern Colorado (30 miles east of Denver as the crow flies). Reading through the information here, I think planting them outside might be a bad idea, since I live in an area defined alternately as 5a or 5b (depending on which USDA map one uses) and either zone 1b or 2a of the Sunset map. It gets far too cold here for the rhizomes to survive outside. In addition, the soil out here tends towards hard clay, with lousy drainage. Would it be better, once the lily plants in the pot start to go dormant, to repot the rhizomes in a bigger pot, let them rest for a year in the basement in fresh potting soil and then just bring them back upstairs in March or April so that they have a chance to rebloom by June. There’s also NO humidity in our air – readings of less than 5% humidity in autumn and winter are common, so I wanted to know if an occasional misting of the soil while the plants are dormant would keep the rizomes from completely dying from dehydration while in storage. In addition, I’m not sure if I should simply keep them indoors to shield them from the sun here (we’re at 5300 ft. above sea level and the UVA and UVB rays are harsher here than at lower elevations) and control how much humidity they get via a plant mister, or if I can safely put the pot out on the back patio, which gets filtered morning sun and is completely shaded in the afternoons (the patio has a pergola that partly shades everything beneath it after 9:30 am in late spring through mid-autumn). I’d like to keep my Valentine’s Day gift alive and kicking for as long as possible, since the flowers are beautiful. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My husband bought me a beautiful calla lily plant from a florist. It is huge. It did well in the flower shop but the leaves started to turn yellow at home. It was facing a window with morning sun and afternoon shade. It seemed really big for the small pot it was in so I suggested we move it to a larger pot. I disturbed the roots and loosened them some for transplant. After the fact I read that calla lilies are supposed to be root bound (major OOPS). Did I destroy it? It there any saving it? Please help, I really love this plant 🙁
Hardy in Tennessee?
I live in Zone 6 (eastern Tn) and just received a beautiful pot of cala lillies for my birthday. I would like to plant them outdoors and leave them so that they multiply. Can I leave these outdoors year-round or should I bring them inside during the winter months? They are so beautiful and I don’t want to lose them. Thanks!
I purchased 1 fairly large, potted, colored calla lily about 3 weeks ago. I repotted it into 3 pots containing about 3-4 stems in each pot. After reading the care instructions from the store, I placed all pots on my front porch to receive morning sun. I’ve fertilized them once and continue to water them every 2-3 days (with proper pot drainage). 2 of the 4 stems in one pot are starting to wilt with the bloom turning a much darker color. After reading the previous posts, I’m still uncertain if I’m experiencing a water or sun problem. The stems in the other two pots seem to be doing well, and I do know that it’s time for more fertilizer. I live in Georgia where the temperatures have been unseasonably warm but I’m not sure of my zone. Do they go dormant during certain seasons or after the weeks of maturity and would the separate flowers in all 3 pots go dormant at the same time or at different times? I would appreciate your expert guidance.
Dripping leaf tips
I got a beautiful small calla lilly from a friend on Sunday. Today I noticed that at the tip of the leaves there is water. I dried some of the ends and came back later to find more water. Any idea what’s going on?
It’s in a bright spot, later afternoon sun, indoors for now.
Indoor Greenhouse Growing:
I am wanting to plant some large white calla lilies in my indoor greenhouse. I am wanting them to grow about 2-3 feet tall to use in some arrangements. I am wondering how many blooms I will get with each bulb, how many hours of “sunlight” should I have per day (I’m using lamps), the ideal temperature to have them at, and how long will it take for the blooms to be ready to cut.
Hello!! I just got a few potted calla lilies and am wondering if i should replant into a larger pot, or plant outdoors. I am in Southern Colorado and worry that the temps dipping below 55 at night will kill the plant if I plant in the ground. PS im in zone 5b Thanks!!!!
I want to winter my calla in their pots in my bathroom . the sunken tub has a large window so my bathroom recieves alot of light in winter. It faces west. Will this give my tubers enough rest time for rebloom the next spring. I live in zone 5 so I cannot leave outdoors
I bought a yellow Cally Lilly in a pot 3 years ago. It was beautiful. I put it in the ground. At the end of blooming, I cut it back and did not expect it to return, because I did nothing to it but cut it back. Last year it came back beautifully. My neighbors said, it was the prettiest one they had seen. It was perfect. The leaves were a beautiful green and the flowers was gorgeous. This year, it doesn’t look that good. It bloomed, but the leaves are turning brown on the edges. Some of the leaves are dying and falling down. The flowers themselves look pretty good. What do you think.
We recently purchased a potted calla lily (the flowers are white towards the tips with a rosy-rusty flush). Not knowing not to loosen the roots, we re-potted it almost immediately as it was in a very small pot for the number of plants. The soil we used is pre-fertilized. We have the plant under a sunny window, and keep the house temperatures between 60 and 67 degrees. Some of the leaves began to droop and turn yellow within two days of getting the plant (it was purchased for Mother’s day), and now many of the flowers, along with more leaves turning yellow, are withering and turning brown. I noticed today that there are very small tips of black/brown on most of the leaves (over fertilization from the soil?). We have not watered it very much, only when the top soil is dry, and there are rocks in the base of the pot. Is it in shock from the transplant (and did we kill it), is it over-fertilized (in which case do we have to re-pot it with different soil to solve the problem), or just going dormant (it was in full bloom with many, many flowers when we purchased it)? We do not plan on planting it outdoors as we do not live in the primary zones.
Hey there!
So I saved this extremely poor looking plant from a friend. I took it home removed all of the yellow and wilted leaves. Watered it in the shower and then let all the extra water drain off. I moved it into my bedroom which has a south facing window. I would open up the curtain to allow light in but not too much because I thought at first it might have been a peace Lilly. Now I’m think its a calla Lilly because the flower look to be elongated. I was really excited that the plant was coming back to life and that the bloom stalks had started growing longer and looked like they might begin to open after about 3 weeks of TLC. then Over the period of about a week the blooms started turning brown then black on the inside. Where the yellow is. Since I don’t know the technical term. The bloom started degressing and instead of growing out Longer and opening up more they went from whitish green back to green then to mushy droopy yellow. I cut off as much of the flower as I could see. I Still have lots of green foliage some have brown tips some don’t. I don’t know if that was from the previous owners miscare or what. I just don’t know what went wrong too much water, too little sun, disease? Do I have a chance for more blooms? And where do I go from here? Please help.
Divide calla lily
How do I divide the calla lily tubers?
Last mothers day I recieved my first purple calla lillies and since repotted them and surprisengly without knowing about letting the plant go dormant this year I have long leaves that look weak but stands with a little help but no flowers and I only have north facing windows. I am afraid of putting it outside since I live in Kansas and it gets well into the 100s in the full sun. And since I don’t want to kill it what should I do?
My cala lilies all turn white during the winter months!! has the most beautiful colored but somehow during winter months they change to white!!
Flowers turning green
I have a mini calla lily plant that I received a year ago on Mother’s Day.I repotted it last year and after repotting,It started producing seed pods.I had read that if I cut them off, my plant may produce more flowers… it didn’t. When fall came, I cut off all the foliage and put it in my garage. I had no real hope of it coming back this spring but it did. So, I put it back outside and it seemed to be flourishing. It currently has four blooms that started out all white and now they are turning green. It’s only June and I would like for it to continue to bloom. I water it about every other day and the foliage still looks great. I’m not a strong gardener and I have a dfficult time keeping plants alive. But I love this plant and I want to keep it going strong. Please help me…
3 Years ago I purchased 3 Cala lillies assorted colors in each pot *(yellow, white and pink) I gave 2 to family and I kept one for myself…each year the other 2 bloom all 3 colors and are beautiful with many many blooms. But mine the leaves are many and beautiful but never get any flowers off of mine…what am I doing wrong….I feed mine with miricle grow and the other ones they never even give them fertilizer. We all live in Washington State and only miles from one another.
Thanks
I have yellow calla lily.the leaves are turning yellow i live in alabama can i put on my porch for some sunlight
Thank you for the reply. I figured in this part of Florida they would grow year-round. There are 3 separate tubers or 3 separate plants but I put them all in the one planter. Perhaps it was not large enough. I will leave them for now and keep them moist. Do you think if they start growing again I should transfer them into a arger pot as they are really very root-bound in thisi gallon pot. Perhaps the potting soil was too olld as I’d had it over a year. I just hope they come back as they were gorgeous. Thanks for your comments!
I had two callas that were yellow and one that was a pale lavender. Does that explain why after the blooms went they died off completely? What should I do with the pot? Just leave it on the patio as it never freezes where I live in Florida. I shouldn’t say never, but once in a blue moon it might get into the 30’s at night. How long is the period of dormancy? Thank you so much for your help!
I have a question I want to plant summer sunset callas in a planter if I want to plant more than one in a large planter how far from the edge should they be
I have a beautiful calla lily plant that looked very sad when I bought it. Many of the leaves were drooping and kinked, but the ones in the very middle were standing nice and tall. I cut all of the drooping leaves off and since then the plant has grown taller and has also grown new leaves. The leaves are all a beautiful green color but many of them are starting to become very droopy. I’ve noticed that as I have watered it lately it all has drained straight through the soil. Am I watering it too much and is there a way to help these droopy leaves stand tall again or do I need to cut them off?
Calla leaves and flower stems falling over
I have had large white calla lily bulbs growing in a pot for 30 years. I have repotted several times, I am careful about watering, I fertilize occasionally with Schultz liquid 10-15-10, this Spring I lightly mixed in some worm castings. The pot gets morning sun. The last 4 years it grows wonderfully and looks great until the leaves get close to a mature size, then they fall over and the flower stems fall over as well. What do I need to change? If you feel it needs more sun will it tolerate full sun and summer heat in the pot? We are in Zone 4. Thanks for your help.
I just received a calla lily that a friend had received for Valentine’s Day. It has no blooms and ever since I received it many of the leave stems are bending over and kinking. cut those leaves off and now more are doing the same. I am wondering if I should carefully transplant it into a clay pot instead of plastic–because the problem could be too much water, right? I think it will be a houseplant for most of the year, I might move it outside on the deck for a little while in the summer since we live in N. Idaho.
i have a white calla lilly that i recicieved at my sons memorial. it has bloomed beautifully. I kept it inside for the winter. the weather lately has alowed me to move it outside. I can’t plant it outside as the temps here can get over 100 degrees. I was cocerned when some of the blooms turned green but, after looking here I realize it is making seed pods. Im would like to be able to plant some in his memorial garden. How do I know when the pods are ready? Also it is in a large pot and is getting far too big for it. I don’t even know how many bulbs it has or how to split it up as I want to be able to move it indoors and out. If I plant the whole thing it will have to go into a pot that won’t be movable. This plant it very important to me. Please help.
Hi!
Just got these beautiful mini calla lillies from Home Depot! They are gorgeous bright yellow color. My question is: Can I plant them outside were direct sun is a daily basis? Should i leave them in pots?
I live in PR (caribbean island), very hot on summer. To give you an idea, today is 84 degrees, at night will be around 75. But some days temperature arises to 95 degrees…feeling like a burning desert….
Having them to beautify my front garden will be a good idea??? I’ve read all the article to take care of them and avoid mistakes…thanks!
Hi,
I just received a beautiful purple calla lilly from my step mother and have no clue how to care for it. I see on the tag that it calls for bright light. Can I keep it planted and on my office desk? I do not have any windows there. I live in a townhouse and don’t have a whole lot of planting options outdoors. Thanks!
Hello,
I recently bought a calla lily from a nursery. Ever since I brought it home the leaves are going yellow and droopy and now even the blooms are looking unhappy. I re-potted it right away which is probably a bad thing as it may have sent it into shock? I have only had it a couple of days and I tend to over fret and therefore over water or move the plant around too much. So I thought I might as well just ask someone haha.
I live in Victoria, BC, Canada and the lily lives in a pot on my back deck that gets direct afternoon sun. The past few days it’s been about 25 to 28 degrees. Do you think it’s getting too hot? Or is it just going dormant after flowering?
Thanks for all your help! I really don’t want to kill this beautiful plant!
~Cara
I have several potted yellow, red, and white mini calla lilies in pots and they all seem healthy, but I thought the red ones used to be a darker red, almost purple color, but they seem a little faded now. Is there something I can do to get the deeper colors back?
Also, in some of my pots of exclusively yellow calla lilies, there is a white calla lily. I’m suspecting that the white ones came from lilies that grew from seeds. Do they genetically revert to a pre-hybrid version? The leaves of both the white & yellow are the same spotted type. Do you know why there’s a white lily among the yellows? Do the tubers change from yellow to white?
i had a calla Lillie that was white and recently one by one the stems all came out and are dead is there any chance the bulb can re grow or does the plant have a diease
I purchased pot of beautiful yellow calla lilies, from Lowes. I planted them on the east side of the house, but due to too many trees, I don’ t think it was getting enough sun.
The foliage looks fine, but all the flower stems drooped over & didn’t open.
I dug it up & put it in a 20 inch pot with Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix. It is still on the east side, so it only receives am sun. I only water it when it feels dry. I live in a Chicago IL suburb.
Any thoughts?
should the tuber of a dormant calla lily be stored in dry soil, vermiculite, or just a paper bag for a few months? thanks J.