Calla lilies: meaning, legends and symbolism

The calla lily is instantly recognisable: a smooth, almost porcelain “hood” wrapped like a funnel around a yellow spadix. It is at once severe and tender, which is why callas are loved both in wedding bouquets and in modern interior arrangements. Here is what calla lilies mean, the legends around them and who to give them to.

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About the flower

Garden and cut callas belong to the genus Zantedeschia in the arum family, native to southern Africa. There are only 8 species but countless cultivars. The tall white arum lily (Z. aethiopica) reaches a metre, while the coloured hybrid callas — yellow, pink, orange, burgundy, almost black — are more compact at 40–60 cm. What we call the flower is a modified leaf, the spathe; the tiny true flowers sit on the spadix.

The name “calla” is linked to the Greek kallos, “beauty”. Botanists also use it for a different plant, bog arum (Calla palustris), which grows in Ukrainian wetlands. It was bog arum rhizomes that were once processed into flour in northern Europe in famine years — raw, they are poisonous.

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Calla lily meaning by colour

Overall the calla lily stands for beauty, purity, ceremony and refined taste. In Western tradition white callas can also be funeral flowers, but in Ukraine they are seen mainly as wedding and celebration flowers. Their clean graphic shape makes them suitable gifts for both women and men. For other flower meanings, see the language of flowers.

Calla legends

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One African legend tells of lovers from feuding tribes: the girl’s wise father blessed their marriage and reconciled the peoples, and white callas grew from the bride’s wedding veil. Another tells of a girl who chose fire over marriage to a cruel chief and turned into a white flower. A similar legend is told about anthurium, a relative of the calla.

Callas in weddings and art

Thanks to their clean shape and long vase life, callas are a classic of wedding floristry, used for elegant single-variety bridal bouquets and buttonholes. They have inspired artists: Georgia O’Keeffe painted a famous series of large calla canvases, and Diego Rivera painted his well-known calla lily vendors. In film, Katharine Hepburn’s line “The calla lilies are in bloom again” from Stage Door (1937) became legendary.

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Making callas last in a vase

• Trim the stems with a sharp knife and stand them in shallow, cool water — thick calla stems rot quickly in deep water.
• Change the water every 1–2 days and they will last 10–14 days.
• Keep the vase away from fruit and heaters.

To grow callas at home or in the garden, see calla lily care, and for the most striking varieties, black calla lilies. All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate, so keep callas away from children and pets.

FAQ

What does a gift of calla lilies mean?

Admiration, respect and good wishes; a white calla also signifies pure feelings.

Can I give an even number of callas?

In wedding and designer floristry callas are often arranged without counting. For more on the superstition, see even number of flowers.

How long do calla lilies last in a vase?

With proper care, 10–14 days.

Bouquets with calla lilies and other flowers are available with delivery in Kyiv from UFL.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.