Whether you’re growing them in your garden or keeping them as a houseplant, Calla Lilies are absolute showstoppers. But if you want your indoor Calla to thrive for more than just one season, you’ve got to pay attention to its unique personality. If you get the care and the location just right, you’ll be rewarded with those elegant, sculptural blooms for years to come.
Getting to Know Your Indoor Calla Lily
The Calla Lily (or *Zantedeschia*) is famous for its stunning, funnel-shaped flowers. Before you bring one home, here’s a quick cheat sheet on what they need to stay happy:
- Keep the soil consistently moist while the plant is blooming.
- Give it a nice misting with water about once a week.
- Feed your Calla with fertilizer on a regular schedule.
- Snip off any withered leaves or spent blooms to keep it looking tidy.
- Let the plant dry out completely once the flowering phase is over.
- You can overwinter the plant right in its pot or store the bulbs separately.
Since Calla Lilies originally come from the marshy wetlands of South Africa, they are thirsty plants. It’s super important to keep the soil damp during the blooming period. When it comes to feeding, consistency is key, but don’t go overboard—too much fertilizer can be just as bad as too little.
Finding the Perfect Spot
These plants can be a bit picky about their lighting. They crave bright light but absolutely hate direct, scorching sun. The ideal spot is a windowsill that gets plenty of light in the morning or late afternoon. That intense midday sun can actually burn the delicate leaves, so make sure there’s a sheer curtain or some shade during the hottest part of the day. If you want to move your potted Calla out to the patio for the summer, go for it! Just make sure it’s protected from the direct sun there, too.
What to Do After the Blooms Fade
Once the flowering season wraps up, your Calla Lily needs a well-deserved nap. This is its dormancy period, which means you should stop watering and fertilizing altogether. The plant needs at least ten weeks of “winter rest” in a cool spot—ideally around 50°F (10°C). Around the beginning of January, you can slowly start reintroducing it to the warmth of your sunny windowsill. Come springtime, it’s a great idea to repot your Calla to give it some fresh, nutrient-rich soil. Do this, and you’re pretty much guaranteed another round of gorgeous blooms!
