Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Golden Calla Lily, Yellow Calla Lily (Zantedeschia elliottiana).

More about zantedeschia elliottiana

About Zantedeschia elliottiana

Zantedeschia elliottiana · also called Golden Calla Lily, Yellow Calla Lily · flowering

Zantedeschia elliottiana is the golden calla lily, a summer-flowering tuberous aroid prized for funnel-shaped yellow spathes above silver-spotted, arrow-shaped leaves. Unlike the evergreen Z. aethiopica, it is deciduous, dying back after flowering to a dormant tuber. It thrives in rich, moist soil and bright light, going fully dormant through winter.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: Too little light or excess nitrogen yields leaves but few spathes. Give brighter light and switch to a higher-potassium feed during the growing season.

The reasons zantedeschia elliottiana isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming zantedeschia elliottiana 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 elliottiana 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 elliottiana to flower

Maximise sun. Give zantedeschia elliottiana 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 elliottiana and get the feeding right with the zantedeschia elliottiana 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 elliottiana 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 elliottiana care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Zantedeschia elliottiana blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my zantedeschia elliottiana flower?

Zantedeschia elliottiana 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 elliottiana bloom?

Give zantedeschia elliottiana 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 elliottiana normally bloom?