Originally the Calla comes from South-Africa. There are 8 known varieties. With the exception of the Zantedeschia Aethiopica which grows out of rhizomes, the varieties grow out of tubers. In 1687 the Dutch gouverneur Simon van der Stel send the Zantedeschia to the Netherlands. In the past the plant received various names. In 1733 Linnaeus describes the genus Calla based on the plants which are now known as Zantedeschia Aethiopica. He calls the Calla Aethiopica. Aethiopica means in Greek “growing in Morenland” or “sun-scorched”. In 1818 the German botanic Kunth revised the name and turned it to Richardia Africana. Eight years after Kunth a German botanic Sprengel makes it Richardia ethiopica in 1826 and later revised it again to Zantedeschia. He named the plant after the Italian chemic and botanic G. Zantedeschi (1773-1846). This means that the name Zantedeschia is already more than 190 years the official name of which many people call it Calla because in English people call it Calla lily. Furthermore the word “Calla” means in Greek “beautiful”. There is although a genus of Calla which is also part of the Areaceae family. This is the variety Calla Palustris. This is a poisonous plant that grows on swampish territories on the northern hemisphere and which grows out of rhizomes. The leaves and ways of flowering resemble especially with the Zantedeschia Aethiopica. There is also a genus which is called Richardia which belongs to the Rubiaceae family which are mostly 1year plants.

There are 8 varieties of main Calla cultivars.

1. Zantedeschia aethiopica. The common or white arum is widespread and can be found growing wild from the Western Cape through the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal; Mpumalanga and into the Northern Province. It is evergreen or deciduous depending on habitat and rainfall; in the Western Cape it is dormant in summer and in the summer rainfall areas it is dormant in winter. It will remain evergreen in both regions if growing in marshy conditions which remain wet all year around. It has lush dark green leaves with an arrow-head shape and grows vigorously to + 60cm to 1m tall. This arum will grow in full sun or semi-shade but will get taller in the shade. The large pure white spathes can appear anytime of the year but their main flush is from August to January. They are most adaptable, forming large colonies in marshy areas from the coast to an altitude of 2 250m. Because they tolerate humidity, salt laden winds at the coast, and freezing, misty mountain grasslands at high altitudes, they make extremely versatile garden plants and are the most commonly planted arum lily. Nowadays there are other forms of this species like 'Marshmallow' with its creamy-pink spathes and rose-pink throat; 'Green Goddess' with its enormous leaves and unusual green and white spathes; and ‘Spotted Leaf’ with its attractive large spotted leaves and creamy spathes.

2. Zantedeschia albomaculata is deciduous and grows in small clumps, up to 70cm tall; with oblong to arrow-shaped leaves, often speckled with white spots.  The spathes are cylindrical and a white, cream or pale yellow; often marked with dark purple at the base. (Zantedeschia subsp. Albomaculata) is a subspecies with oblong leaves and which flowers from October to April. It grows wild in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Free State, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and Limpopo; extending into Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Tanzania. It is commonly found growing along rocky hillsides, forest margins and stream banks. (Zantedeschia subsp. Macrocarpa) is a subspecies with triangular leaves; flowering from November to April with a peak in December. It occurs in KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Free State, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and Gauteng; growing in grassy vleis and on marshy ground beside streams.

3. Zantedeschia rehmannii The pink arums are small to medium plants 20 to 60cm tall, with lance-shaped, dark green leaves which are very rarely speckled with white spots. The cylindrical spathes appear from September to February, with a peak in November to January; in colours ranging from white through shades of pink to dark maroon (almost black). This arum occurs from Harrismith in the Free State and northern KwaZulu-Natal, through Swaziland to Mpumalanga and is commonly found growing in semi-shade amongst rocks on grassy hillsides; at medium and quite high altitudes; at forest margins and in sandy furrows.

4. Zantedeschia elliotiana is probably a hybrid of garden origin because specimens have not been found in the wild; and its suspected parents include Z. pentlandii or Z. jucunda; and Z. albomaculata subsp. albomaculata. This deciduous species grows +-60cm tall and produces large, very attractive, broadly ovate deep-green leaves, speckled with white spots. Flowers are produced in abundance from November to January; and the cup-shaped spathes are bright golden-yellow with a purple base.

5. Zantedeschia odorata is a deciduous species which grows +-70cm tall and produces beautiful large broadly ovate dark green leaves. The spathes are white and appear from July to August. It is restricted to an area known as Klip Koppies at Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape; occurring on outcrops formed by large dolerite boulders which break down to form a red clay soil which retains water well in the rainy season; so the roots are in seasonally very wet soil and occasionally in standing water.

6. Zantedeschia jucunda is a deciduous species which grows +-80cm tall with arrowhead shaped leaves, with triangular lobes branching out from the base of the leaf approximately at right angles. Flowering is from November to January and the spathe is a cup-shaped funnel which can be a deep or creamy yellow with a dark purple base.  It is confined to the grassy slopes of the summit of the Leolo Mountains in the Sekhukuneland Centre of Floristic Endemism, where it grows in full sun. Sekhukhuneland is a small area in north-eastern South Africa in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga which has rich biodiversity and a high level of endemism (species unique to a defined geographic location).

7. Zantedeschia pentlandii The yellow arum is a deciduous species which grows +-60cm tall with broadly ovate, blue-green leaves which are very rarely speckled with white spots. Flowering is from November to December, and the attractive funnel-shaped spathes are a brilliant chrome yellow with dark purple bases. This species is restricted to the Mapoch region of Mpumalanga, comprising the northern part of the Belfast District and adjoining parts of the Lydenburg District, where the plants often grow in dense colonies wedged between rocks. The variety is named after the Irish scientist Joseph Barclay Pentland.

8. Zantedeschia valida is a deciduous species which is quite vigorous and grows +-75cm tall with broadly ovate green leaves. It flowers from October to March, peaking in November. The creamy yellow spathe is a cup-shaped funnel with a dark purple base. This species is restricted to the region bordered by the Biggarsberg, Giants Castle and Collin's Pass in KwaZulu-Natal; where it grows wild amongst rocks on the mountains, in clefts and on foothills; as well as on the banks of streams and in vleis.

Throughout the years the growers from different countries have produced different colours of the calla’s. These days you can chose between just about any colour you like. If you have any question in regards to tubers which we sell then please contact us.