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Why Don't Calla's ROT in Water????

ARUM
18 years ago

So - WHY don't Callas rot in water? I've heared that some folks put them in their ponds, seems down right unnatural. I mean, it's a bulb. :) arum

Comments (9)

  • sleeplessinftwayne
    18 years ago

    There are lots of bulb plants that grow in boggy or marshy land in addition to pots in ponds.The Calla originated in Africa by a lakeshore. Sandy

  • ARUM
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Well, it seems like some of them are designed that way, like Cat tails which have a very tough tuberous root, it just seems that these other bulbs are more soft and would rot. guess not, since I ahve seen them in ponds. Do you just sink them like your other pond plants, or do you need to do something special? thanks, :) Arum

  • youreit
    18 years ago

    I think the fact that callas grow from rhizomes, and not from true bulbs (botanically speaking), makes the difference. Are there any "true" bulbs which prefer boggy to pond-like conditions? I can't seem to think of any at the moment. More coffee....

    Brenda

  • hnladue
    18 years ago

    Not true! My callas DID rot in water. Had 5 in a big pot, only 1 grew and it didn't come back this year.

  • ARUM
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Then I'm NOT crazy! :)

  • pondmaninfl
    18 years ago

    I will give you more proof that callas don't like wet feet. I put callas in with cannas in a planter. The planter had plugs in the bottom preventing water from draining out the bottom. The cannas were loving it but the callas were drooping. Needless to say, I pulled the plugs. The callas grew and bloomed.

    G'day,
    Scott

  • sleeplessinftwayne
    18 years ago

    Calla lilies are from the Cape region of South Africa. Zantedeschia aethiopica "Crowborough" grows in up to 12 inches of water and calla palustris grows in 6 inches of water. They are white. Colored varieties have been developed from related species found close by. Their genetic makeup does not allow, ie. prevents the colored varieties having the same characteristics as Aetheopica and palustris reguarding growth in water. This also affects the resistance, small though it is to soft rot in aethiopoca.

  • ARUM
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    That's why I won't put Calla's in my pond. I mean, why bother? It's best to use plants that are tried and true. The lady down the street has Callas in her pond, and everything is picture perfect. Or it was in the summer anyway. Maybe it depends on the type of theme you're looking for. Mine is just the kind you would expect to come across in the wild, although it still dosen't have that wild look yet. Now I like Parrots Feather. It was in a small pond at a time share I visited, and it grows like crazy, helps keep the water clear, and I don't have'ft to replace it. Perfect! :) Arum

  • youreit
    18 years ago

    I agree with Sandy. It depends upon which Callas you're trying to grow in the pond (or bog). I have the Z. aethiopica (common calla), and one of my books states that those aren't the ones which die back every year, only to reappear with the rains in autumn. However, mine do, indeed, have that characteristic. They're planted right in the ground, in full shade. The bed gets flooded every time it rains, and I give them supplemental water until the really hot weather hits here in late spring/early summer, then I just let them rest a while.

    I then tried one of the Z. rehmanii, and it rotted while receiving regular water in a pot with drain holes.

    Of course, a lot of it also probably depends on temperatures and zones. :D

    Brenda