Some Interesting Facts about Calla Lily's

~The Calla lily is a perennial bulb.
~Though called a lily, Calla lilies are not really lilies.
~Calla is a flowering genus of twenty-eight species originating in Africa and growing mostly in marshy areas.
~Calla lilies are grown from bulbous roots with finger-like growths. These are known as tubers.
~The blooming time of Calla lilies is late spring.
~The word Calla comes from the Greek term for beautiful.
~The Calla lily roots are poisonous.

The calla lily was named by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, who discovered the species in southern Africa in the 18th century. They soon after became popular in Europe in weddings. The calla lily is associated with rebirth because it can survive up to 10 days as a cut flower. The calla lily is a native plant of Malawi, South Africa, which is near Madagascar. In their native environment, the calla lily enjoys a tropical climate with only mild temperature changes. Calla lilies in Africa often bloom all year instead of having just one blooming season. The calla lily is not a lily, and not a calla. Calla is a genus of plants that the calla lily once belonged to, but botanist Karl Koch moved it to the zantedeschia genus after noticing that the plants in the calla genus were not similar enough. He created a new category for the calla lily, the zantedeschia genus, named after botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi. A traditional favorite of brides, the white calla lily first appeared in Europe in the 1600s. The flower quickly became a mainstay at weddings and funerals at that time as a symbol of peace and purity. The long-lasting blooms have been a classic favorite of artists for centuries, cementing its status as a regal beauty.