Zantedeschia aethiopica

The Common Arum Lily, also known as the Calla Lily, is a plant grown for over three centuries in many gardens the world over that originally comes from South Africa, where it is indigenous to moist areas from the Western Cape’s mountains to the montane forests on the escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. They’re well adapted to growing in constantly wet areas as they are capable of getting rid of excess water through their leaves.

Arum Lily plants grow between 60cm and 1m tall. Insects like bees and beetles are responsible for pollinating the flowers, which are mainly borne in spring and early summer, while birds are the major agents of seed distribution as they’re especially fond of the berries that remain after the flowers have died back. The rootstock is occasionally eaten by wild pigs and porcupines.