With its elegant trumpet-shaped blooms and sophistication, the calla lily is a beloved flower for weddings, floral arrangements, and garden beds. But for those seeking variety or a more budget-friendly option, many flowers share a similar appearance to the calla lily’s distinctive form.
In this article, we’ll explore some beautiful flowers that can substitute for callas with their comparable shapes colors, and presentation. Read on for a guide to stunning calla lily lookalikes.
Characteristics of Calla Lily-Like Flowers
While no flower perfectly mimics the calla, many share common physical traits that evoke a similar aesthetic. Features to look for include:
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Funnel or trumpet shape – Many calla alternatives have blooms that flare out from a narrow base.
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Spathe and spadix – Some plants mimic the calla’s specialized bract and inflorescence spike
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Large foliage – Leafy plants like callas often have big, bold leaves.
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Height – Callas grow 1 to 4 feet tall, similar to many lookalikes.
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Colors – White, pink, yellow, orange, red, and purple shades are common.
Knowing these characteristics helps narrow the possibilities when substituting calla lily blooms,
Popular Calla Lily Alternatives
Many plants make suitable calla lily stand-ins. Here are some of the most popular flowers to consider:
Lilies
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Easter Lily – Trumpet-shaped white blooms with yellow centers.
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Asiatic Lily – Upward or outward facing blooms in bright hues.
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Tiger Lily – Downturned, speckled orange flowers with dark spots.
Other Bulbs/Rhizomes
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Zantedeschia – Closely related to callas with similar spathes and spadix.
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Dahlia – Dense heads of colorful petals with pointed tips.
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Gladiolus – Spikes of funnel-shaped blooms in vibrant colors.
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Canna Lily – Large tropical foliage with cup-shaped flowers.
Roses
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Garden Rose – Ruffled, nostalgic blooms reminiscent of callas.
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Grandiflora Rose – Clustered flowers with loosely cupped petals.
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Floribunda Rose – Profuse blooms ideal for beds, borders, and cutting.
Other Flowers
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Snapdragons – Whorls of tubular blossoms on tall stems.
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Delphinium – Towering stalks lined with ruffled blooms.
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Lisianthus – Rosette-shaped flowers with a calla-like form.
With some creativity, gardeners can find calla lily substitutes to fit any color scheme or design needs.
How to Grow Calla Lily Alternatives
To successfully grow calla lily lookalikes, focus on choosing plants suited for your climate and providing proper care. Here are some key tips:
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Select species and cultivars adapted for your hardiness zone. Many calla alternatives thrive in zones 5-9.
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Give plants a site with full sun to part shade depending on variety. Morning sun is ideal.
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Prepare soil that is rich, humus-heavy, and well-draining. Amend if needed.
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Space plants properly to allow for growth. Follow spacing guidelines for each flower.
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Water 1-2 inches per week. Avoid soggy soil but don’t let beds dry out either.
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Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks during growing season.
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Cut back dead growth in fall and mulch for winter protection in cold climates.
With the right growing conditions, calla lily lookalikes will flourish to showcase their fabulous flowers each year.
Using Calla Lily Alternatives in Arrangements
One of the calla lily’s many virtues is its beauty when cut for bouquets and centerpieces. Luckily most alternatives also make fantastic cut flowers. Here’s how to highlight calla lookalikes in arrangements:
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Cut stems in the morning when blooms are freshest.
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Immediately put in water and recut stems underwater at a sharp angle.
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Choose a vase that matches the flower’s size and form.
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Arrange blooms loosely and avoid overcrowding the vase.
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Combine with greenery like ferns, ivy vines, or palm fronds.
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Mix in other flowers like roses, lilies, or gerbera daisies.
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Add interest with unique vase shapes, stones, or floating candles.
With their long vase life and breathtaking colors, calla lily lookalikes infuse gorgeous, calla-like flair into any arrangement.
Creative Uses for Calla Lily Alternatives
Beyond vases, calla lily lookalikes present gardeners with endless creative possibilities:
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Plant in drifts or rows for bold punches of color in beds and borders.
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Allow them to shine as focal points in containers on patios and porches.
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Edge walkways, ponds, or seating areas to draw the eye.
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Mix varieties and colors together for an eye-catching floral display.
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Highlight them in cutting gardens filled with other beautiful blooms.
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Grow in raised beds or containers for easy access while gardening.
With a little imagination, calla lily alternatives bring drama, elegance, and vibrant color wherever they’re placed.
Find Your Perfect Calla Lily Lookalike
For those who admire the calla lily’s sophisticated beauty but want to explore other options, many flowers fit the bill. Look for plants that share the calla’s magnificent form, delightful colors, and commanding presence. With the right selection and care, calla lily alternatives lend gorgeous appeal to gardens, vases, and events. Discover your own perfect calla stand-in this season!
Canna lilies Canna lilies
Canna lilies or cannas (Canna x generalis) are native to tropical and subtropical areas. They are not hardy in Minnesota.
Like callas, their rhizomes must be dug up in the fall after frost has blackened the foliage.
- Cannas can grow anywhere from 1 1/2 to 5 feet tall, or even longer.
- Their large, glossy leaves are 6 to 12 inches wide.
- Cannas are pretty even without their flowers because their leaves are exotic and come in shades of bronze, purple, burgundy, bright green, dark green, or even more than one color.
- Their flower spikes can be up to a foot long and have a bunch of blooms at the top.
- Blossom size varies with the species planted.
- You can get cannas in red, rose/pink, yellow, orange, salmon, and red with yellow.
- Their big pots, raised beds, and background plants work really well with them. Pollinators like hummingbirds and bumble bees are drawn to the flowers of some types.
Calla lilies White calla lily
Calla lilies or callas (Zantedeschia species) are not true lilies. They are related to jack-in-the-pulpit and Caladium. Unlike jack-in-the-pulpit, they are not hardy in Minnesota.
The tuber-like rhizomes of callas must be dug up and stored inside over the winter. You can put them in a pot in late winter and take care of them like a houseplant until it’s warm enough for them to grow outside.
Callas have a broad, trumpet-shaped flower called a spathe that wraps around the finger-like spadix. The spathe is a modified leaf and may be white, yellow, peach, orange, red, pink, purple or bicolored.
The spadix holds the tiny, true flowers. Its leaves are arrowhead-shaped and solid green or green with silver or white flecks. Pink calla lily.
Zantedeschia aethiopica, the white calla, is native to Africa where it is considered a weed. The flowers can be quite large, with a spathe up to 10 inches long and a yellow spadix. It has also become naturalized in warm parts of the U. S. , such as in California, where it is an invasive species. Because it is not hardy in Minnesota, invasiveness is not a concern here.
- Callas thrive in deep, moist, rich soil in full sun.
- In part shade, calla lilies will grow, but they will bloom more in full sun.
- White callas will grow in boggy or alkaline soils.
- Rhizomes should be planted four to six inches deep and one to two feet apart.
- Use a 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 fertilizer to feed them in the spring after you plant them.
- Lawns and gardens should have a soil test every three to five years.
Callas may be grown as houseplants in a sunny window or under grow lights. For the best results, though, callas should be planted outside in the summer in the garden or in pots. They should bloom from July to August. You can also enjoy calla lilies as cut flowers indoors.
Calla Lily Care Guide – Picking, Placing, and Parenting Your Plant
FAQ
What plants are similar to the calla lily?
What is the difference between Zantedeschia and calla lily?
What’s the difference between a canna lily and a calla lily?
What flowers look like lilies but aren t?
What is a calla lily?
Gardeners often refer to the Zantedeschia aethiopica flower as the calla lily, though the plant is not actually a lily at all. Common white calla lilies sport large, bright green leaves accented by a hearty, tube-shaped white flower. Their great beauty makes the plants popular among green thumbs.
What is the difference between a calla lily and a Lilium?
Lilium longifloru, commonly known as the Easter lily, is similar in height and appearance to the calla lily. This popular lily plant grows from 1 to 3 feet tall and features a white, thick-petaled flower blossom with yellow pods of pollen. Unlike the calla, this flower features six petals in a star formation.
What is a good substitute for a calla lily?
For gardeners seeking a calla lily substitute, similar looking plants in the Zantedeschia genus — as well as completely unrelated lilies — may fit the bill. Pink or yellow callas add color variety to the garden.
What is the difference between a calla lily and a Zantedeschia?
While the Zantedeschia aethopica’s large white blossom is synonymous with calla lily, other Zanthedeschia plants have very similar features. The Zantedeschia elliottiana, or golden calla, sprouts deep yellow flowers, while the Zantedeschia rehmannii — known as the pink calla or pink arum — has lavender, red or violet flowers.