Ethiopian Zantedeschia - austere but refined beauty
If you are offered to buy a calla, take it without even thinking. In fact, this is none other than the Ethiopian Zantedeschia, one of the most beautiful representatives of the Aroid family. The graceful severity of large inflorescences is unlikely to find equal among indoor plants. Despite its tropical origin, the culture feels quite comfortable not only at home, but also in the open field. You just need to take into account some of the specific requirements of zantedeskia in the maintenance and care. And in gratitude, she will annually delight with tall peduncles with simply huge flowers.
Who are you really, calla or zantedeschia
Quite often, the plant is also called arum or calla. Indeed, these flowers have a lot in common, but they are just relatives, being different cultures from the aroid family. In addition, their size is more modest than that of Zantedeschia. And they grow in open ground, blooming mainly with white flowers. Zantedeschia is larger, it is unlikely to survive in the garden in winter, especially in the center and in the north, and its hybrid varieties will delight you with different colors.
Ethiopian Zantedeschia - popular varieties
In natural conditions, the Ethiopian calla lives in open ground in wetlands, in river mouths and in shallow lakes. However, the heat-loving beauty will not be able to survive our Russian winters. But as a potting culture, it feels quite comfortable indoors, remaining evergreen all year round.
The most common varieties of Ethiopian zantedeschia are:
- Crowboro with a characteristic white veil;
- A green goddess with a variegated veil (green strokes on a white-cream background).
Having settled zantedeschia on your windowsill, keep in mind that she loves good lighting and abundant watering. It also needs a rest period. Calla is resting after flowering, around the beginning of summer. It is advisable to take the pot outside until autumn. Sometimes the bush blooms in the spring, then the rest is postponed to the winter.