Calla Lily Flower: Its Meanings & Symbolism
Most flowers given as gifts are cut from the trees or plants producing them. With a limited lifespan, these cut flowers work well as short-lived symbols but quickly fade away and die. The Calla Lily is a flower both cut and used in bouquets and given as a living potted plant gift. Find out what message you’re sending when you use this plant as a symbol.
What Does the Calla Lily Flower Mean?
This flower is not technically part of the real lily family. Instead, it’s a different type of flower with a bloom similar to other true lilies. The most common meanings of this bloom include
- Magnificent and overwhelming beauty, in the classic Victorian language of the flowers and the Ancient Greek tradition
- Resurrection and rebirth, since the plant returns each year after the winter
- Faith and purity, especially in the Christian religions
- Overcoming challenges, since the cut flowers can start regrowing in a vase and survive frosts
- The liveliness and innocence of youth.
Etymological Meaning of the Calla Lily Flower
The Calla lily is also called a trumpet, pig, or arum lily. However, it is a member of the Araceae group that includes the philodendron. This means it’s not related to the other Calla flowers either. The plant’s official scientific name is Zantedeschia aethiopica because it originates in South Africa and the surrounding countries.
Symbolism of the Calla Lily Flower
Most people first encounter this flower when decorating for Easter or choosing a live plant to send as a gift for the holiday. It’s also used around Christmas as well, when hothouse specimens are available. This striking flower symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus to many people, or just rebirth in a more general sense. Due to the white and waxy blooms poking out of the dark foliage, this flower has earned a connection to innocence and purity too. It’s only natural that it’s connected with youth as well.
Calla Lily Flower Color Meanings
Aside from the classic white varieties, there are many distinctive colored types too. Different color meaning options include
- Bright yellow and orange for representing joy, growth, and change
- Lavender and light blue to convey a sense of grace and refined beauty to the recipient of your gift
- Dark purple for royalty and strength
- Pink for admiration and flirting, while dark red means passion and intensity.
Meaningful Botanical Characteristics of the Calla Lily Flower
The Calla lily is not used medicinal because all parts of the plant are poisonous. You should only use these tough plants for beautifying the landscape, brightening up a water garden, or rounding out a bouquet.
Special Occasions for Calla Lily Flowers
Calla lilies make appropriate gifts for many religious holidays due to the associations with the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Aside from those occasions, consider giving the gift of the flowers for the birth of a new baby or a child’s birthday. You can also try celebrating a loved one’s success at work with a bunch of orange or yellow blooms.
The Calla Lily Flower’s Message Is…
The Calla Lily flower’s message is to focus on the beauty around you, and remember that it will return even if it disappears for a season. Hold onto your innocence and grace as you move through the world and conquer your challenges.
>>Click Here To Learn More And Find Out About Organixx Essential Oils
Does the calla lily have any other meanings?
Bought cali Lily great colors plant healthy but no longer has the colors
My 16 year old son (Christiaan) gave me three of them and told me he loved me just the day before he and his brother of 7 (Jaco) passed away in a car accident on 11 August 2018.
[…] * Source: Flowermeaning.com […]
My husband’s grandmother had four pots of calla lilies which she put on her front porch steps every year. She lived in SE Ohio where winters get cold and snowy, so she over wintered them in her underground basement.
Can these plants live indoors? How can you keep these plants indoors? Can these plants stand heat?
I just got a purple calla lily,my BFF passed away and I want to plant this as a symbol of our 47 year friendship. Will it grow and thrive outdoors after the winter in the northeast and is it a perennial?
How can I get them bloomed for less moneyo