Zantedeschia aethiopica Scented Lady - Arum lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘Scented Lady’ is an elegant arum lily with a bonus: its white spathes emit an unusual and very pleasant, light floral fragrance. This variety forms an opulent clump of luxuriant foliage topped with large ivory flowers. It is a beautiful plant for moist, rich soil, which also thrives at the water's edge or in a large container. It always makes a striking impression.

This variety belongs to the Araceae family. The species Zantedeschia aethiopica, known by the common names arum lily, calla lily, or lily of the Nile, has the main botanical synonyms Calla aethiopica, Richardia aethiopica, Arodes aethiopicum and Colocasia aethiopica. Despite its name, it is not native to Ethiopia but to Southern Africa, mainly South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. In the wild, it is found in wetlands, marshes, cool alpine meadows, along watercourses, and in formerly inhabited places, from the coast to high altitudes. It is a rhizomatous perennial: its thick crown stores reserves and allows it to regrow each year. 
The cultivar ‘Scented Lady’ is a French introduction by Turcieflor. This selection is distinguished from the typical species by its more pronounced fragrance and its particularly neat appearance. The plant forms an upright, dense clump, 60 to 80 cm tall and about 45 to 60 cm wide, or even more in very rich soil. Its growth is rapid, and the crown gradually widens. The leaves, borne on long, fleshy petioles, are arrow or spear-shaped, thick, glossy, and a bright to dark green. If the winter is mild and the summer not too dry, the foliage may persist through part of the winter; elsewhere, it disappears in summer and/or as soon as it freezes seriously. The "flowers" are actually inflorescences: a large white to ivory spathe, rolled into a funnel, surrounds a pale yellow spadix where the tiny true flowers are located. Each spathe measures 15 to 20 cm long, about 8 cm in diameter. Flowering occurs from May to July; it can be earlier or later depending on the climate and soil moisture. Hardiness: down to -8 / -10 °C in almost dry soil; the crown should be protected under a thick mulch in cold regions.
The white arum lily has been cultivated in Europe for several centuries and long held a place of honour in cottage gardens as well as in floral art.

In the garden, Zantedeschia ‘Scented Lady’ thrives anywhere the soil is rich and moist in season, but not waterlogged in winter. Plant it near a pond, in a damp border, or in a large container watered generously in summer. Its handsome, lush vegetation pairs well with soft foliage and light flowering plants. You can combine it with Rodgersia pinnata ‘Chocolate Wings’, Iris ensata ‘Variegata’, or Astilbe ‘Vision in Red’. Kenilworth ivy (Cymbalaria muralis) will be a charming companion in a large container, as it will spill over the edge and trail down to the ground.