Feature Flower for December - Calla Lily

_By themselves or with other flowers, Cally lilies are beautiful and majestic. Becoming popular in the 1920's calla lilies have since been a favorite of brides. Besides the wide array of colors available, callas are very sturdy. This makes them ideal for corsages and boutonnieres. They last and last even without a water source and are great for those hot summer weddings.

Common Name: Calla Lily
Botanical Name: Zantedeschia

The most significant calla lily meaning is magnificence and beauty. The calla lily name finds its origin from a Greek word for beauty. The calla lily meaning originates from a Greek myth that says the lily originated from the breast milk of Greek Goddess, Hera.

The legend goes that Zeus, the Roman God fathered Hercules with his association with a mortal women Alceme. He wanted his son to partake more of divinity and become mortal. So, he brought Hercules to Hera after drugging her to sleep. He placed baby Hercules at her breast and Hercules began nursing. When Hera got up from her sleep, she was shocked after seeing a baby nursing her. She flung the baby away from her. When doing so, some of her milk gushed across the heavens and formed the milky way. Some of the few drops fell on earth and these drops sprang in the first lilies on earth.

Calla lilies are available year round and come in a variety of colors. Standard sized callas come in white and green. These range in size from spathes 3-5" on a 15-36" straight stem. Mini callas are Available in White, Lavender, Purple, Pink, Red, Peach, Orange, Yellow, Cream, Green, Black, Bi-color and Dyed varieties  Mini callas have spathes about 2" and 10-14" stems.  Large size varieties are also available.

Interesting Fact: A calla lily, as the name suggests is not actually a true lily. It is also not even a calla. The calla lily belongs to the genus Zantedeschia and is grown from rhizomes.

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