Plant care guide
Calla Lily Care: Grow Healthy Calla Lilies Indoors and Out
Calla lilies are elegant bloomers grown from rhizomes. These guides cover watering, planting, getting flowers to return and fixing leaf problems.
Despite the name, calla lilies aren’t true lilies, but they are toxic to people and pets.
- 14free guides
- 5topics
- Nov 2026last updated
New to calla lily? Start here
Read these first. They cover the basics that solve most problems.
- How Often Should You Water Calla Lilies? A Season-by-Season ScheduleHow much and how often to water.
- How To Transplant Calla Lily?When and how to move it to a new pot.
- How To Propagate Calla Lily (Calla Lily Propagation From Seed & Calla Lily Propagation From Cuttings)Grow new plants for free.
- Why Is My Calla Lily Leaves Turning Yellow? [Reasons & Fixes]The most common problem, and the fix.
- Why Is My Calla Lily Dying? 8 Causes and the Fix for EachRescue a struggling plant.
Care basics: water, light and soil2
How much to water, how much light, which soil and when to feed.
Propagation, repotting and pruning3
Make new plants, move to a bigger pot, prune and shape.
Leaf problems and fixes5
Yellow, brown, curling or drooping leaves: what each sign means and the fix.
Pets and people: safety2
What happens if a cat, dog or child chews it, and what to do.
Varieties, comparisons and facts2
Types, look-alikes, growth rates and side-by-side comparisons.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do calla lilies come back every year?
Yes, they’re perennials. In warm climates (roughly USDA zones 8 to 10) they can stay in the ground. In colder areas, lift the rhizomes in fall, store them dry, and replant in spring.
Why does my calla lily have leaves but no flowers?
Common reasons are too little light, too much nitrogen fertilizer, or skipping the rest period the plant needs after it blooms.
Are calla lilies poisonous?
Yes. They contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause mouth pain, drooling and vomiting if chewed. They aren’t true lilies, though, so they don’t cause the kidney failure that true lilies cause in cats.