Tropical calla Lilies ?

Hello
I question from a lily newbie...I have just started experimenting with bulbs for the first time, starting with cannas and I surprised my self with the results..pretty fast growers in zone11, and then discovered Calla Lilly would love to try them

found this guy on line and would love to try it

http://www.callalilyshop.pacificcallas.com/callalilyamethyst.htm

I see everywhere about overwintering them , but will they live in a tropical climate all year

Summers 80 - 85 degrees , 100 degrees on heat index with 70% humidity

I can give them morning sun but we dont have a 10 degree difference in temps between day and night time.

Thanks Neil

Neil, I only have limited experience with calla lilies, but I looked in the plantfiles and it says they are hardy through zone 11. I think yours would be fine if you left them in the ground all year. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/123372/index.html

Experimenting with bulbs, huh? You know what they say ~ a bulb here, and another bulb there.... pretty soon you're deep into Lilium and the next thing you know is you're ADDICTED!

Welcome to our world, Neil. :)

Welcome Neil! I live in zone 8b and have my callas and cannas in the garden year round so you shouldn't have any problems.

Lin

Ok, so maybe this is a silly question.........I know that they die off in winter up north and then they come back, but is this because they want to ( dont some plants have to have a cold spell to survive) or because they have to ?

Will they just keep growing down here non stop ?

As its warm all year does that mean they will bloom all year ?

Every where I look for info , its all about winter care?

One last thing, are there any shade loving lilies?

Are you asking about shade loving lilium or callas? If you're asking about lilium, Martagons perfer shade and some of the species. Most lilies in the warmer zones should have afternoon shade. I think it's too warm in zone 11 for most lilium.

Beaker
I not sure does lilium cover Calla Lily thats the one I really want to try down here. I have just started some Cannas but some one told me that they werent really a lily.

No, Callas aren't lilium and they aren't a true lily. The Calla genus is Zantedeschia. I believe they are suppose to be good into zone 10. Again you might be too warm for them at times. I would think they might be OK for you during the winter months, but the summers are probably too hot. You should Dmail Daleagardener; he's in Florida. Not sure if that's how his DG name is spelled.

Neil,

Calla - Zantedeschia has two main groups, summer grower - Z. elliottiana (usually wide spotted leaf) and Z. rehmannii (smooth narrow) and then there is the winter growing Z. aethiopica, wide leaf, white flowers in early summer.

Aethiopica and elliottiana have the same leaf shape, large arrow head shape with larger flowers than rehmannii. Rehmannii are the ones you see with all those wild colors-purple, red, pink, lavender, pale lavender etc and a more narrow leaf, almost strap shaped. Aethiopica is white flowered, elliottiana usually white or yellow always w/spotted leaf. Hybrids don't follow the rules.

A & E tend to have a large bulb with several leaves (5+)on each bulb making an above ground stem and large flowers. R tends to have few leaves per bulb (2-3) and the leaves seem to come up out of the soil, no stem visible, more grassy and the flowers are smaller, more numerous. All make large clumps over time, with many bulbs in a clump, but, R always has smaller bulbs.

The growth habit of these two groups is very different. A & E are more upright or ridgid and R is more spreading or lax (quite lazy foilage as is goes dormant) Aethopica does not go dormant here in Tampa, Rehmannii has a very short season of 3-4 months for me. I have not tried eliottiama here, but, I think I will next year. I will have to check and see if Bourgondien has any left and maybe get some in for 2006.

I like the foilage of A & E, it looks tropical to me. R is less remarkable, looks like a long leaf hosta stretching for light.

None of the callas flower as well here as they do on the West Coast. These are S. African plants, they have a cooler climate. Those photos you see are taken in CA or a greenhouse with heating and cooling. If you see someones photos of callas remember they are taken on day when they have the most flowers, usually.

The oven just signaled it is up to 400, time to put the pizza in.

Here is an unrelated to the topic photo...

Dale
Thanks for the info, Im going to give them a try down here and see what happens. I ordered some on Ebay "Captain Chelsea" a new one, and the only one listed anywhere for Zone 11. I'm not sure which type it is but from your description it looks like a Z. elliottiana with wide spottted leaf which I think looks cool even without the flower.

Enjoy the pizza.

Nice mix in the photos. My next experiment will be growing a mixed pot of different plants. Do you grow any of your callas in pots?

Neil