Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) care

Flowering · straightforward to keep

Last updated 26 October 2026

Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) wants bright indirect light, with some direct morning sun. Water it every 5 days. Keep the compost damp while it is in leaf — it is thirsty. When the leaves start to yellow after flowering, cut the watering right back and let it rest. Pot it in rich, moisture-retentive compost. A balanced liquid feed every two weeks while it is in leaf and flower, and repot once a year. Humidity: room humidity is fine. Toxic to cats, dogs and people if chewed — the sap carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which burn the mouth and throat.

The calla or arum lily: glossy, arrow-shaped leaves and elegant white, funnel-shaped spathes; the coloured callas sold as pot plants are hybrids of related species. It is not a true lily and does not carry the kidney danger true lilies pose to cats — but it is toxic, like the other arums.

Quick facts

Water: Water every 5 days. Keep the compost damp while it is in leaf — it is thirsty. When the leaves start to yellow after flowering, cut the watering right back and let it rest.
Light: Bright indirect light, with some direct morning sun.
Humidity: Room humidity is fine.
Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive compost.
Feeding: A balanced liquid feed every two weeks while it is in leaf and flower.
Repotting: Repot once a year.
Toxic to pets: Toxic to cats, dogs and people if chewed — the sap carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which burn the mouth and throat. Keep it off the floor if anything in the house tastes its way through life. The ASPCA lists Arum Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) as toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).
Difficulty: Straightforward.
Mature size: 40–90 cm tall.
Native to: Southern Africa.

Watering a Calla lily

Water every 5 days. Keep the compost damp while it is in leaf — it is thirsty. When the leaves start to yellow after flowering, cut the watering right back and let it rest.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

Bright light, with some direct sun in the morning. In too little light the stems flop and it stops flowering.

Humidity and temperature

Room humidity is fine. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

A rich, peat-free compost that holds moisture. The white arum lily grows in marshes in the wild; the coloured hybrids want slightly better drainage.

Feeding

A balanced liquid feed every two weeks while it is in leaf and flower. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot once a year. After it dies back. Calla lilies grow from rhizomes that rest for two or three months a year: let the leaves yellow, keep the pot dry and cool, then repot in fresh compost and start watering again.

Common problems

Leaves yellowing after flowering
The start of its yearly rest.

Fix: Water less, let the leaves die back, and keep the rhizome dry for a couple of months.

Yellow leaves: how to read it on any plant
No flowers
Too little light, or no rest.

Fix: Give it a bright spot and a proper dry rest each year.
Soft, rotting stems at the base
Wet while dormant, or cold and wet together.

Fix: Keep it dry while it rests, and make sure the pot drains.

Propagation

Divide the rhizomes while dormant; each piece with a growing point makes a new plant.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

The ASPCA lists Arum Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) as toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).

If your pet has eaten a plant, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both are open around the clock and may charge a consultation fee. Take the plant or its label with you.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. We don't test plants: what we say about toxicity follows the ASPCA's published plant list as it stood on 26 October 2026, and that list can change. "Non-toxic" means not poisonous — a pet that eats enough of any plant can still vomit, and fertiliser, pesticide or leaf shine on a plant can harm it. It also only helps if the plant is what you think it is. It covers cats and dogs only; ask your vet about rabbits, birds, reptiles or anything else, and a doctor about children. Read our terms.

Every houseplant in the library the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs

Questions people ask

Is a calla lily a real lily?

No. Despite the name it is an arum, related to peace lilies and philodendrons, not a true lily (Lilium). The difference matters with cats: a small amount of a true lily, even its pollen, can cause kidney failure in a cat. A calla lily causes mouth and throat irritation instead — still toxic, and still worth keeping away from pets.

How often should you water a Calla lily?

Water every 5 days as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Zantedeschia aethiopica. Keep the compost damp while it is in leaf — it is thirsty. When the leaves start to yellow after flowering, cut the watering right back and let it rest. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a Calla lily need?

Bright light, with some direct sun in the morning. In too little light the stems flop and it stops flowering.

Is Calla lily toxic to cats and dogs?

Toxic to cats, dogs and people if chewed — the sap carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which burn the mouth and throat. Keep it off the floor if anything in the house tastes its way through life. The ASPCA lists Arum Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) as toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026). If a pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away.

How do you propagate a Calla lily?