Fun Facts About Calla Lilies

A tall, regal plant that can grow up to 3 feet in height, calla lilies look like modern art with a central bract that curves in a single fluid shape. The modified leaf surrounds a fleshy, yellow spike of tiny flowers.

Misconceptions

• Though related to the genus Calla, a calla lily is neither a calla nor a lily. It is part of the Zantedeschia genus and the Araceae family. Though it’s most often thought of as a white flower, the cala lily actually grows in a wide variety of colors, such as yellow, orange, pink, purple, mauve, green and black.

Origins

• The calla lily originated in the southern regions of Africa up to the northern parts of Madagascar. The biologist Carolus Linnaeus gave them their name.

Uses

• The website Calla Lily Guide says this about the striking flower: "It became a major hit in Europe and is still very popular, especially as a wedding flower, although it has been known to appear at funerals as well."

Films

• In the role of Terry Randall in the 1937 film "The Stage Door," Katharine Hepburn says, "The calla lilies are in bloom again. Such a strange flower — suitable to any occasion. I carried them on my wedding day, and now I place them here in memory of something that has died."