White Arum Lily
Zantedeschia aethiopica

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A succulent herb. It is a perennial plant. The roots are fleshy and form underground storage organs. It grows 90-120 cm high and 50-75 cm wide. Plants form dense clumps of leaves. The leaves are glossy and arrow-shaped. They are 40 cm long. The leaves are on stalks arising from the base of the plant. The stalks can be 40 cm long. The leaf stalks have a sticky sap when broken. The flowers have white spathes and a yellow spadix. The white spathes are funnel shaped with a split down the side. The stalk or spadix in the centre has true flowers are clustered along this. After flowering oval yellow berries form and these have round seed.

There are 6-8 Zantedeschia species. It can be invasive.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It can stand light frosts. It can grow naturally along watercourses. It suits swampy areas. They can grow in full sun or light shade. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. Tasmania Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Canary Is.,Central America, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indonesia, Italy, Lesotho, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Pakistan, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norfolk Island, North America, Northeastern India, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, SE Asia, Sicily, Slovenia, South Africa (country/location of origin), Southern Africa, South America, Spain, St Helena, Swaziland, Tasmania, Trinidad-Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

CAUTION: The flower stalk and the roots are poisonous if eaten raw. Like many plants in this family they contain oxalates that need special processing to remove these. The young leaves and leaf stalks are eaten as a vegetable. Roasting and boiling removes the toxicity.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Leaves, stems, vegetable, roots, caution

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed sown as soon as ripe and at 21-27°C. They can be grown by division of the clump. The tubers are planted 30-40 cm apart and 10 cm deep.

Its other names

Local names

Calla, Common calla, Inyibiba, Lili arum, Lily-of-the-Nile, Navadni škrnicelj

Synonyms

Richardia africana Kunth; Calla aethiopica Linn.; and others