Identification: Is this a calla lily or a different species?
Hello,
I wanted to ask if this is truly a Calla Lily, because I’ve never seen a Calla Lilly with black flowers AND brownish/blackish leaves and brown/burgundy stems. (The brownish leaves are not withered, that’s their color.)
Also, I wanted to ask if there’s any reason some leaves started drooping a few days after I got it, and even worse, the whole plant started drooping a couple of weeks after I got it. I think I water it enough, I touch the soil and if it’s not wet I water it (usually every other day or every couple of days). I also keep it inside, right in front of a window, and it’s been growing a couple of new leaves, so it doesn’t seem to have any other problems.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Tania,
It looks like a Calla Lily “Dark Schwarzwalder” also known as “Black Star”. The flowers of a Calla Lily are really spaths similar to those of a Peace Lily but much more impressive. The plant usually blooms for about six weeks during the late spring and early summer. Keeping the plant root- bound encourages more flowers. Calla Lilies require at least six hours a day of very bright indirect light. Avoid direct sun, especially during the middle of the day, it will burn the leaves and flowers. These plants like moist soil at all times. Calla Lilies are not drought resistant and should never be allowed to totally dry out. Soggy soil is not good either and they should never sit for more than 15 minutes in a saucer of water.
Calla Lily, a bulb plant, becomes dormant once a year. After the plant has finished blooming, the leaves turn yellow and then brown. Once this occurs prune the plant down to the soil level and put it in a cool dark area where the temperature is above freezing but no higher than 50°F (10°C) degrees for 2-3 months. Keep the soil very dry, watering sparingly every few weeks to prevent the bulbs from drying out. The area where the plant is stored should be low in humidity otherwise the bulbs get moldy and rot. After two or three months, return your Calla Lily to a bright warm spot and start watering. Once green leaves develop, feed with a fertilizer specifically for bulbs at ½ the recommended strength to encourage the new growth. The plant should start to bloom again in 6-8 weeks.
You can read all of my care tips for this plant in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.
https://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/calla-lily-how-to-grow-care-tips
These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants.
