Calla Lily
- The Trumpet-Shaped Beauty
This season, we want to hero a stem that brings elegance and grace to any arrangement - the calla lily. Distinctive, trumpet-shaped forms and a variety of vibrant shades - what’s not to love about them? Whether as a sculptural accent or a pop of colour, they bring something truly unique to a flower display and are incredibly versatile.
We’ve gathered everything you need to know about the calla lily here for you - from interesting botanical facts to expert florist tips on how to make them look their best in your home, learn more about this fascinating flower.
And if you’re already in love with them, we’ve got good news: we’re featuring calla lilies in our fresh, crisp, and bold Frosted Lime Classic & Showstopper boxes, where we’ve combined shades of pearl and cream white with lime green for a soothing and calming atmosphere.
The (Mis-)Naming of the Calla Lily
One of the most commonly asked questions is: Are calla lilies true lilies? And the straightforward answer is: no. However, the reason we commonly call them that is because they were originally misclassified by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th century.
They actually belong to a different genus called Zantedeschia (aethiopica) - with the addition of “aethiopica” as they thrive in warm climates, especially the marshy areas of South Africa. It was a German botanist called Kurt Sprengel who later created the genus Zantedeschia to honour Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi and corrected the classification.
How to Keep Calla Lily Thriving in Your Vase
To keep calla lilies happy in your vase at home, the first steps are the most important ones. As always, you want to snip a bit off the stem and pop in a vase with room temperature water and some flower food.
Expert Floristry Tip: Be mindful when trimming the calla lilies’ stems - they are very soft, so you want to go with a sharp florist knife or scissor rather than your chunky secateurs. This way, you’re making sure you get a clean, sharp cut without squashing the stem and thereby preventing proper water intake.
Calla Lilies in Greek Mythology
The “calla” in calla lily is often said to come from the Greek word for “beauty” or beautiful,” but in Greek mythology this flower has its own story of origin:
Seeking immortality for his half-god son, Zeus wanted baby Hercules to drink milk from Hera while she was asleep, hoping he’d absorb the godly strength through nursing. Upon waking up and finding a child that wasn’t hers at her bosom, Hera pushed him away fervently. The milk spilled from her in that movement created the Milky Way - and where drops fell to earth, calla lilies bloomed.
Calla Lily Symbolism
As with most flowers, the calla lily symbolism depends heavily upon its colour. Since they come in various shades, we’ve gathered the most common symbolic meanings here:
White: Purity, innocence, holiness
Pink: Admiration & appreciation
Red: Passion, desire, beauty, or courage
Orange: Confidence, energy, enthusiasm
Yellow: Friendship, joy, gratitude
Purple: Divinity, spirituality, passion, or royalty
Whichever colour you prefer, calla lilies bring a playful touch to any arrangement and really brighten the space with their unique forms. They make a lovely gift, too, so if you’ve got an occasion coming up, pick the perfect colour symbolism to express your gratitude, admiration, or passion - and you can throw in all your newly acquired knowledge as an extra!
