Do Calla Lilies Need to Be Dug Up for Winter?

Calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) are tropical plants with showy flowers in pink, yellow, red, orange, and white, plus attractive mottled foliage. They prefer light shade but tolerate full sun if not too hot. Blooms last until mid‑July. Rhizomes are sold in spring at garden centers.

Plant rhizomes 4 inches deep in spring, in pots or garden soil amended with compost, manure, or peat moss. Wait until all frost danger has passed. Callas overwinter outdoors only in Zones 9–11; elsewhere they must come indoors.

If grown in pots: Simply move the pots to a dark, cool indoor spot for winter. Repot in fresh soil in spring.

If planted in the ground: Dig up rhizomes at season’s end. Store in a cool, dry location until spring replanting.