October Flower of the Month: Calla Lily
October’s Flower of the Month is the beautifully elegant Calla Lily, sometimes known as Arum Lily or Pig Lily. Funny, but it is not even a Lily at all. It was mislabeled by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus long ago and the name has stuck since then. It is actually part of the Araceae Family, which has over 3,700 special including the Philodendron and Anthirium.
The Calla Lily comes in a multitude of colors, including dark purple and bright yellow, and as an ombre or solid color. It is traditionally suggested for 6th wedding anniversary due to one meaning of Callas represents marital love and devotion. A yellow Calla means joy or growth or gratitude. White is a symbol of peace and purity. Pink symbolizes admiration.
Calla Lilies grow from a single bulb called a rhizome. The leaves and flowers grow directly from the rhizome which means it doesn’t need soil to grow properly, just lots of water and direct sunlight. The Calla Lily is actually made up of many tiny flowers hidden within the outer curved petal. This elegant, protective petal is called a spathe, it shields the yellow spike in the middle called the spadix which is where you will find the cluster of tiny flowers.
A fun ancient Greek myth is since Zeus conceived Hercules with a human, Hercules had no special powers. Zeus wanted to change this so he drugged his wife, Hera, and had her breastfeed Hercules so he could attain extraordinary abilities. When Hera awoke from the drugged state she threw Hercules off of her and in so doing a few drops of her breast milk dropped to the earth. In those spots, Calla Lilies bloomed which give them an eternal god like beauty.
Cultivated Calla Lilies are available year round and we will have them on hand for your enjoyment. And stay tuned for other fun facts about Calla Lilies.