Temperature
55–75°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Calla lily
Zantedeschia aethiopica
Calla lily wants bright indirect light and water every 4 to 8 days, once the top inch is dry. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east or south window within three feet. It flowers on light and will skip a year in a dim spot.
Water
Every 4–8 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top inch is dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
45% and up
Wants 60%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Moderate
Scores 3 of 5: Scores 3 of 5: it grows from a rhizome and dies back completely after flowering, which people read as death. It also wants far more water than most houseplants, being a wetland species.
Habit
Clumping
Grows to 18–36 inches. No support needed.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans — poison severity medium
Contains insoluble calcium oxalates. Reported signs include intense burning of mouth and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says 2 sources concur
- ASPCA
- Toxic to cats and dogs · insoluble calcium oxalates
- NC State Extension
- Poison severity: Medium · calcium oxalate · Oral irritation, pain, and swelling of mouth, tongue, and lips, excessive drooling, stomach pain, vomiting (not horses), diarrhea, difficulty swallowing
Light
Bright indirect light. An east or south window within three feet. It flowers on light and will skip a year in a dim spot.
Water
Every 4 to 8 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top inch is dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | keep evenly moist |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top inch is dry |
Soil and potting
Two parts potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 2 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- No flowers monitor
- Yellow leaves this week
- Drooping act today
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-12.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Aphids this week
- Spider mites act today
Propagation
Division in soil. Roots in 28 to 56 days.
| Preferred method | division |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 28–56 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Zantedeschia aethiopica Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Zantedeschia aethiopica Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q1945905 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Zantedeschia aethiopica Accepted name; family Araceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Zantedeschia aethiopica Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Eric Hunt, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 2.5.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02