Calla Lilies for a Classy Broad

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Chic, charming and always in style, calla lilies are the perfect flower for the classy lady in your life. Be it a birthday, anniversary, thank you or yoo-hoo sort of occasion, these elegant blooms have panache and character that make them stand out from the rest of the bunch. When you just can’t seem to think of a good gift, the gift of flowers is always one she’ll be sure to use.

Native to parts of southern Africa, the calla lily is known for its single, iconic petal that swirls around a central axis. This type of flower is called a spadix and is similar to the one on a peace lily, with which it shares a family. With only a handful of different species, all in the genus Zantedeschia, all of them have showy flowers that come in a range of colors from white to yellow, purple or shades of red and orange. While found growing originally in only a small geographical region, the alluring beauty of the calla lily has lead to it being cultivated on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

Prized for both their pretty petals as well as their fabulous foliage, calla lilies are popular garden plants in warm, tropical climates, but most of us will have to enjoy them with a little help from our florist as a cut flower. Cultivated extensively in California, Colombia, Kenya and New Zealand, plant breeders have been introducing a variety of new colors and sizes, so try out a little something different with new non-white cultivars. Smaller in size, but full of color, the cultivar “Red Mango” or “Pot of Gold” come in red and gold and look amazing in a bouquet or arrangement mixed with torch gingers or dendrobium orchids. Sultry colors, such as the deep purple “Night Cap” or fabulous fuchsia one, “Pillow Talk,” go well with orange roses or red hypericum berries. Try paring a medium or large one of any color with the exotic bird of paradise for a tropical, but simple look or all white with a bit of silvery dusty miller or seeded eucalyptus for an elegant occasion.

With bare stems without any distracting leaves, let calla lilies strut their stuff without any distracting greens. One of the best ways to show off this very feminine flower is in a clear glass vase with several different shades of just calla lilies. This flower doesn’t like to share the spotlight.

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