Calla Lilies

Calla Lily Wedding Bouquets are amongst the popular bridal flowers; they have a long, honorable and ancient history.  Calla lilies were the sacred flower of the Minoans and the ancient Jews and to the Christians they came to represent chastity and purity, in contrast to the Roman view associated the flowers large spadix with  lust and sexuality! In the ancient world these lilies were also viewed as a symbol of death and funerals, especially of young men who had met untimely ends, on whose graves they were spread.

The Origin of the Calla Lily

The flower is said to have originated somewhere between Malawi and South Africa, due to the tropical environment there with it’s dependable seasons and stable tropical temperatures and no frosts or cold winds to prevent them from blooming all year round, as long as they have a plentiful supply of energy, nutrition and most important of all, water. The flowers grow from a bulb, and many brides who choose to have callas in the bouquets, plant their bulbs in their first home as a lovely reminder of the day.

What is a Calla Lily?

Surprisinlgly, the flower we call a Calla lily  does not belong to the Calla genus or the Lily family. It was first categorised in the mid 1700s by Carolus Linnaeus, who categorised all similar plants under the genus ‘Calla’. Later testing proved that all Callas were not closely enough related to be of one genus. Karl Koch, the German botanist found the error and the Calla Lily genus became known as Zantedeschi aethiopica after the Italian physician and botanist. The aethiopica is thought to mean ‘south of Egypt and Libya’. However all of the genuses are related under the family ‘Araceae’ and despite everything the common name of calla lily still continues to be used. Calla’s are among the three lilies most often used in flower arranging and wedding bouquets. These three popular lilies are:

The longifolium or Easter lily

Longifolium lilies (sometimes known as Easter lilies), also make beautiful bridal bouquets, as long you take care with the pollen! These can grow to have huge flowers on stems almost four feet high, but don’t confuse them with callas, longifolium lilies are trumpet or bell shaped and have a beautiful scent.

Other Lilies

Many true lilies are famous of the scent, huge white casablanca lilies are often associate with wedding as are stargazer lilies, with pink splashed petals and leopard lilies where the petals of the bell shaped flower are splashed with spots. Lily bulbs are generally edible and the plant is actually a herb, used widely in chinese herbal medicine. While they may be beneficial, in some forms to humans, many of these other lilies are toxic to cats.

The Spread of the Calla Lily.

As everything did in ancient times the Calla found it’s way to Rome where it was cultivated and highly prized, so much so that the Romans were said to decorate their edges with gold filaments and use them in their celebrations, especially weddings, where they were held as a symbol of purity. Romans planted them just inside the portals of their homes, timing them to bloom in time for the winter solstice, bringing the illusion of light indoors during the darkest days of the year. The greater display of lilies they had the wealthier the occupant of the house was. In those days they were said to be much larger than the ones we know today and were said to reach 7 feet tall.

In Greek marriage ceremonies a crown was placed on the brides head, just as it is in greek orthodox services today, however the most popular type of crown was one made from lilies with ears of wheat, symbols of innocence combined with fertility.

It is not known when the Calla became known throughout  Europe but the Calla with it’s funnel – shaped flower and lance shaped leaves appeared in America in the mid 1800s and although it was once associated with untimely deaths and funerals. This elegant, exotic plant has now become one of the most desired of wedding flowers and is beginning to rival the rose in popularity for bridal bouquets. Modern calla lilies are available in a huge number of colors,  white, yellow, orange, pink and purple are all prized and can be truly spectacular when beautifully arranged.

Silk Calla Lilies

There are many types of artificial calla lily which can be used to create a brides bouquet, corsage or centerpiece. Calla lily wedding bouquets do not, typically require a lot of blooms, and as a result can be an elegant option for a bride on a budget. Two or three large blooms with some foliage can make a beautiful over arm bouquet, or can be wired together to make an unusual wand or sceptre style bouquet.  The long flower stems can also translate into a beautiful cascade or shower bouquet and of course the exotic colors mean a calla lily bouquet can go anywhere, from a sophisticted cathedral wedding, using all white flowers, to a gothic extravangaza in the back garden (purple callas with pitcher plants), or a tropical beach wedding at an exotic destination. You can find ideas for all these designs on our pages of call lily wedding bouquet ideas.

Whatever type of wedding you are planning, and no matter the size of your budget, calla lilies make a great choice for your wedding bouquet and bridal flowers.