How To Grow Calla Lily Indoors For Winter Blooms

When cold weather moves in and the garden goes quiet, growing calla lilies (Zantedeschia) indoors can bring a little bit of the summer aesthetic into your home. Calla lilies are tropical perennials, part of the Arum family, and can bloom indoors through winter when "forced" to flower out of season. Though there are ways to winterize your calla lily plants (both indoors & outdoors) to enjoy blooms for years to come, if you're specifically looking to have white calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) in your home during the colder months, forcing them to bloom is the only way because they are spring and summer bloomers. 

Forcing a plant just means recreating the conditions it needs to sprout and bloom before spring arrives. You can do this with calla lily bulbs by taking high-quality bulbs and planting them deep into a well-drained potting mix with two or more inches of space from the bottom of the bulb to the base of the pot. 

To encourage indoor blooms through winter, start the forcing process in early fall — around October — and plant the bulbs in 4- to 8-inch pots. It's best to use a well-drained medium such as one that is a mix of peat, vermiculite, and perlite. After watering, you'll need to place the pots in an area that stays at temperatures between 35 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 14 weeks. This mimics the dormancy period that they would experience outside and aids in the development of their roots.

Once the foliage appears, move the plants to a bright window that receives indirect sunlight and keep the soil evenly moist with warm or room-temperature water. It's hard to know everything you should before planting calla lilies, but it's important that their pots have adequate drainage to prevent water from pooling, and their leaves do not come into contact with the glass because a draft could seep through. Callas, like other tropical plants, may benefit from a small increase in humidity, particularly when indoor air is dry, but they will also prefer the brightness of a south-facing window. With proper timing, flowers can appear anywhere from late November to early spring, brightening your home when little else is blooming.

Not every member of the calla family waits for spring to flower. The Mapoch lily (Zantedeschia pentlandii) is a lovely relative of the calla lily, and it naturally blooms in the fall and winter. While calla lilies are one of the best perennials to grow for gorgeous white flowers, the Mapoch lily's beautiful yellow and purple blooms stand out among its deciduous green leaves and make an excellent container or houseplant option. Like its cousins, it's toxic if eaten, so keep it away from pets and children. By choosing the right species and timing dormancy carefully, you can enjoy calla lilies (or Mapoch lilies) brightening your home all winter long.