Zantedeschia elliottiana Captain Trinity - Calla Lily

The Arum or Calla 'Captain Trinity', also known as Zantedeschia, is a summer-flowering variety with a vibrant yellow colour! This rhizomatous perennial bears a generous clump of large deciduous leaves, sagittate in shape and dark green with white speckles. From May to August, it produces large solitary flowers with gracefully funnel-shaped spathes that are excellent for bouquets. Plant it in well-drained, light, rich, and moist soil in a location that receives at least a few hours of light. It is frost-sensitive and ideally grown in a pot, adding beauty to terraces and balconies with its dense foliage and abundant flowering throughout the year. In mild climates, these qualities make it suitable for mass planting along water edges, accompanied by foliage plants and a thick layer of mulch.

Zantedeschia 'Captain Trinity' is one of the many hybrids obtained through cross-breeding between two main species native to Eastern and Southern Africa, Zantedeschia rehmannii and Zantedeschia elliottiana. 'Captain Trinity' is a stemless species with large sagittate leaves, dark green with marbled white patterns. Moderately tall, it reaches about 40cm (16in) in height and 50cm (20in) in width. Like other hybrids, this plant requires specific growing conditions to flower. The flower, typical of arums, produces a highly ornamental spathe, almost 10cm (4in) in diameter, concealing a golden yellow spadix at its centre. Its thick roots grow perpendicularly in the growing medium, resembling fleshy and trailing rhizomes. In nature, this plant grows in marshes that usually dry out in summer, under warm climates all year round. The vegetation dries up, and the tuber enters a dormant period. This vegetative cycle must be strictly respected in cultivation. Florist's arums can live for many years if the cyclic resting period is well observed.

Zantedeschia 'Captain Trinity' is particularly suited for container cultivation as long as it receives regular watering. It can also be planted in moist areas, near a water source, or even partially submerged in less than 20cm (8in) of water during summer. Its exotic-looking foliage will beautifully complement Japanese maples, large ferns, sedges, and creeping Lysimachias in a humid and lush environment. In regions with colder climates, dig up the rhizomes and keep them dry at 10 °C during winter, before replanting them next spring. Otherwise, apply a minimum mulch layer of 10 to 20cm (4 to 8in).