Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Edge of Night calla lily, deep purple calla (Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night').

More about zantedeschia 'edge of night'

About Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night'

Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night' · also called Edge of Night calla lily, deep purple calla · flowering

Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night' is a hybrid calla lily prized for near-black, velvety purple flowers above glossy spotted foliage. A tender tuberous perennial, it loves warmth, bright light and moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Lift the rhizome before frost in cold climates and store dry. Striking in containers and summer borders, it reaches around 50-60 cm.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — All leaves, few flowers: Too much nitrogen or too little light reduces blooming. Switch to a higher-potassium feed and give full sun to bright light.

The reasons zantedeschia 'edge of night' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming zantedeschia 'edge of night' 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 zantedeschia 'edge of night' 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 zantedeschia 'edge of night' to flower

Maximise sun. Give zantedeschia 'edge of night' 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 zantedeschia 'edge of night' and get the feeding right with the zantedeschia 'edge of night' 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

Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night' 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 zantedeschia 'edge of night' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my zantedeschia 'edge of night' flower?

Zantedeschia 'Edge of Night' 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 zantedeschia 'edge of night' bloom?

Give zantedeschia 'edge of night' 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 zantedeschia 'edge of night' normally bloom?