Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Calla Lily bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Calla lily, Arum lily, White arum lily, Lily of the Nile, Pig lily, Florist's calla, Trumpet lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica).

More about calla lily

About Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica · also called Calla lily, Arum lily · flowering

The calla lily is a moisture-loving, rhizomatous perennial prized for sculptural white spathes on tall stems. Give it bright indirect light or part shade, consistently damp rich soil, and warmth of 60-80F. Despite the name it is not a true lily but an aroid, and the ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs and cats.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to bloom: Usually from too little light, missing the winter dormancy/rest period, or over-feeding with high-nitrogen fertiliser. Provide bright light, a cool dormant rest, and a potassium-rich feed in season.

The reasons calla lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming calla lily traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding calla lily a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get calla lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give calla lily the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for calla lily and get the feeding right with the calla lily fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Calla Lily flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full calla lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Calla Lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my calla lily flower?

Calla Lily blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make calla lily bloom?

Give calla lily the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does calla lily normally bloom?