Digging deeperPlant Library

Black Star Calla Lily flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Lily of the Nile, Easter Lily, Arum Lily

Description:

A gorgeous, extremely dark variety with large black-maroon spathes; narrow, glossy foliage is speckled lightly with gray; great for containers or massed in gardens or borders

Ornamental Features

Black Star Calla Lily features bold black trumpet-shaped flowers with plum purple overtones rising above the foliage from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive glossy narrow leaves remain dark green in color with distinctive gray spots throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Black Star Calla Lily is an herbaceous annual with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Black Star Calla Lily is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Black Star Calla Lily will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should be grown in a location with partial shade or which is shaded from the hot afternoon sun. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Black Star Calla Lily is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.