The arum lily, also known as the calla lily (or varkore in Afrikaans, for its pig-ear resemblance) is a strong, upright plant with a spectacular funnel-shaped spathe, most commonly in white. However, hybrids do occur in pinks and yellows. The spathe surrounds a yellow, finger-like spadix of tiny flowers.
Formally called Zantedeschia, named after Italian botanist and physician Giovanni Zantedeschi, its calcium oxalate makes it a poisonous plant, but that doesn’t stop it from being a popularly picked flower – especially as all it takes is one stem to make a massive statement in a vase.
All but one of the Zantedeschia species are tubers. Z. aethiopica, the only rhizome, requires the most watering. For this reason, this species is most commonly found alongside (sometimes even partially inside) ponds, and so it doesn’t mind waterlogged soils when being planted.
Other species require well-draining, humus-rich soil, with a top dressing of old manure in late summer as their flowers are fading, as these tubers should remain in the soil undisturbed for consecutive seasons. When planting, ensure that the tubers are laid flat, with the growing points facing upward. If dividing these tubers, cut them into several pieces, making sure you have at least one eye on each piece.
August is the time to plant Z. aethiopica, for a long flowering season from September to January. It’s happy in both full sun and shade, so it’s the least fussy of the lot. Z. jucunda, Z. pentlandii and Z. rehmanii, on the other hand, should be planted in full sun only. Their planting time is in August and September, and they’ll burst into bloom in the last two months of the year.
Zantedeschia should not cause you much trouble. The only thing to look out for is bacterial soft rot, which causes the plant’s tubers to collapse. If you suspect this has occurred, remove the infected tubers, along with the soil surrounding them, and sterilise the spot with a disinfectant so that the rot does not spread to the other tubers in the same soil.
Content supplied by Hadeco Bulbs.
