Caring for a Calla Lily Plant: Do They Die if You Touch Their Leaves?

Plant Description

• Callas aren't true lilies. A mature plant can produce several flowers with a blooming period of early to mid summer. The flowers are a waxy whorl of bloom with a large spadix. The spadix is the flower part that projects from the center of the petal with pollen on it. Colors include the classic white calla lily and cultivars in sunset hues -- shades of yellow, lavender and pink. It's natural for the leaves to die back whether you grow the plant indoors or outside. Callas have a dormant period before the foliage returns.

Plant Care

• Keep the soil damp to the touch. Callas tolerate wet areas such as pond borders and don't like dry soil. Add at least 2 inches of mulch in drought-prone areas to reduce evaporation. Mulch before the danger of frost if you leave the rhizomes in the ground. The calla plant grows best in full sun. Keep an indoor calla in bright, indirect light for healthy green leaves. Dusting the leaves won't harm them. Avoid handling the blooms as they bruise easily. All parts of the plant, including the leaves, flowers and rhizome, are toxic in their raw form. Wear gloves when you cut calla lilies, prune the leaves or handle the rhizome.

Life Cycle

• The calla lily grows from a rhizome, a bulblike structure underground that's similar to a bulb yet is actually a stem that produces roots. In temperate climates, the rhizome can remain in the ground or a container year-round. After the blooming period, the leaves begin to droop and yellow. This is normal for the plant and doesn't mean it's dying or in need of water. Stop watering the plant when the leaves yellow. The leaves die back and the plant becomes dormant.

Leaf Care

• Calla leaves offer clues about the plant's needs. If the leaves are green and begin to droop, the plant may need water. Drooping leaves or leaves that break near the bottom can be a sign that the calla plant needs more light, especially in the case of a houseplant. Healthy calla leaves are medium green. If they're pale green, the plant may need more light. Cut off dead leaves at the base.