What is a Z-Calla?

Many people are well-acquainted with the Calla Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica)—its white trumpet bloom and long, dark stem marks the beginning of spring in many gardens.  Many people are also familiar with Mini Callas (or, colored callas) which are often referred to simply as Zantedeschia.  "Mini callas" come in a much wider array of colors than their big, white sister, and include: rose, yellow, orange, red, flame, white, dark purple, bi-color, and even black. Now, what are Z-callas?

Gorgeous, dark maroon z-callas

Z-Callas 

Technically, Z-Callas are "mini-callas" but the ones we grow are not miniature by any means. Their trumpet-shaped blooms are sized around 4 inches with stem lengths of 20" to 30."  How do we grow them so large?  It's not crazy hormones or fertilizers...it's all in our methods. 

How to Grow Z-Callas

Over the last few years, we've been doing different tests with our Z-Callas: growing some in greenhouses, others in hoops, trying out different varieties, playing with light, dark, warmth, and cool. You name it, we tried it—and the research paid off. Once we found our stride with Z-Callas, we continued with what worked, and kept our practices consistent; now, every spring through fall we can provide florists, stores, and individuals with large, color-saturated zantedeschia.

What we found is that Z-callas need a combination of diffused UV light and cool evenings to really color up and stretch.  To obtain properly diffused light, we grow our z-callas in hoop houses which are covered in milky-white plastic.  While UV light can still pass through the plastic, the opacity diffuses the sun's rays and allows the light to wrap around z-callas big upper leaves and reach underneath to the dark underbelly.  This is key, as z-callas need as much light on as many of their leaves as possible in order to grow tall and color up. 

The second part of this equation is cool evenings, as a little bit of cold stress helps z-callas stretch to their elegant length while also infusing their blooms with intense color.  If z-callas are kept at a balmy temperature all day and all night, the intensity of their colors will be reduced.  Again, hoop houses help with this, as they're open-ended, allowing for cool, evening air to circulate freely.    Consistent, cool evenings are what really make the colors of our orange "flame" varieties so vivid.

Super vivid "flame" z-callas

Z-callas are irresistible and their popularity is huge—you can't open an industry publication or peruse Pinterest or Instagram without seeing their colorful heads and trademark shape.  In addition to their iconic elegance, they are particularly sought after for their remarkable vase life (3-4 weeks). We grow them from spring (just in time for wedding season!) and continue rolling out new colors and varieties all the way until fall.

So, when you want to add some intense color to your long-lasting arrangements, don't just ask for mini-callas, ask for Z-callas!