Zantedeschia elliottiana Captain Samba - Calla Lily

The Arum or Calla 'Captain Samba', also known as Zantedeschia, is a very popular variety in floristry and for creating wedding bouquets, producing large flowers with deep pink spathes of great simplicity! It is a stemless perennial with fleshy rhizomes that presents a lush clump of sagittate, upright, dark green leaves. From May to August, it bears a multitude of long-lasting flowers. These plants are ideal for pot cultivation in small gardens or for embellishing the edges of a water feature in mild climates. They thrive in moist to wet, well-drained, light and rich soils and bright exposure without scorching sun. In warm regions, protect them with heavy mulching. Elsewhere, overwinter them in a frost-free room.

Zantedeschia 'Captain Samba' is one of the many hybrids that have been obtained through cross-breeding between two main species native to Eastern and Southern Africa, Zantedeschia rehmannii and Zantedeschia elliottiana. 'Captain Samba' is a single-species plant with large sagittate, dark green leaves. Moderately tall, it measures about 60cm (24in) in height and 50cm (20in) in width. Like other hybrids, this plant requires specific growing conditions to flower. The flower, characteristic of the Arum family, produces a highly ornamental spathe, nearly 10cm (4in) in diameter, concealing a golden yellow spadix at its centre. Its thick roots grow perpendicularly into the growing medium, resembling fleshy, creeping rhizomes. In nature, this plant grows in marshes that typically dry out in summer, under warm climates all year round. The vegetation dries up, and the tuber enters a period of dormancy. This vegetative cycle must be strictly respected in cultivation. Florist arums can live for many years if the cyclic resting period is well observed.

Zantedeschia 'Captain Samba' is particularly suitable for pot cultivation as long as it receives regular watering. It can also be planted in moist soil, near a water source, or even partially submerged in water up to 20cm (8in) deep in summer. Its exotic appearance will beautifully complement large ferns, sedges, and creeping Lysimachias in a lush and humid environment. In regions with colder climates, dig up the rhizomes and store them dry at 10 °C before replanting them next spring. Otherwise, apply a minimum mulch layer of 10 to 20cm (4 to 8in).