calla lily

noun cal·la lily \ ˈka-lə- \

Updated on: 9 May 2018

Definition of calla lily

: any of several herbs (genus Zantedeschia) of the arum family; especially : a house or greenhouse plant (Z. aethiopica) with a white showy spathe and yellow spadix — called also calla

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Recent Examples of calla lily from the Web

Bulbs: Achimenes, agapanthus, blood lilies, bulbine, caladiums, calla lilies, cannas, crinums, day lilies, eucharis lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lilies, peacock ginger, society garlic, spider lilies and rain lilies.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "May in the garden," 28 Apr. 2018
The simple frock, accented with a calla lily, originally retailed for a mere $35, but is currently on clearance for $17.50.

— sarah schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "Ivanka Trump Just Wore a $35 Dress From Target," 6 June 2017
My first Pinterest disaster involved a bride with her heart set on a very tall cake, covered in calla lilies.

— lori welge fulk, Indianapolis Star, "3 Pinterest party ideas you shouldn't try in real life," 23 Mar. 2018
There are a few excellent prints here of Mr. Araki’s densely colored floral photographs — which, in contrast to Robert Mapplethorpe’s elegant still lifes of tulips and calla lilies, take a licentious up-close view of pistils and stamens.

— jason farago, New York Times, "A Maverick of Japanese Photography, Bound Tight to Ritual," 28 Feb. 2018
Do not divide those in active growth, such as Louisiana irises and calla lilies.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: plant lettuce and clean out aquatic garden," 24 Feb. 2018
Plant the calla lilies into beds that receive sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: plant lettuce and clean out aquatic garden," 24 Feb. 2018
Do not dig and divide any perennials that are in active growth now, such as Louisiana irises, pictured above, calla lilies, Easter lilies, acanthus and spring-flowering bulbs.

— NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: trim ground covers and plant Irish potatoes," 20 Jan. 2018
Northern California is on a similar latitude as South Africa, which means mini calla lilies will grow really well there, too.

— michelle z. donahue, Smithsonian, "These Flowers Come Straight From the Farm to Your Door," 13 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calla lily.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.