PlantFiles: Arum Lily Calla Lily
Zantedeschia 'Cameo'

Tall grower, does not have a high flower count. Stem (petiole) very sturdy. For me it isn't a vigorous grower- rots easily.

I have had this plant for a few years. It's first year I think produced only 2 spathes. I left it a cold greenhouse over winter, and found it had produced 4 new corms when checking it the following spring. It was perhaps a quite cold winter, as 3 of the new corms as well as the mother one had rotted, but I had one mid-sized corm which was very new and white. I potted it up, and it grew. I have waited until the 3rd season after, it has been potted into a larger pot this year and has 4 strong new growths, perhaps 4 separate corms as they are wide spread.

By the end of June it was producing a spathe, which is rapidly maturing. I would expect it to make more. I still overwinter it in a cold greenhouse, it doesn't dry out but I don't water it until spring. The last winter of 2005/06 was a very cold one, with many frosts, down to -9C, the greenhouse has panes of glass missing also which I tried to cover with bubblewrap, but not completely. The winter also was much longer than usual, starting mid October with a hard frost, and not warming as spring would until at least mid April. This plant has come through it all!

I am now convinced that the original corm must have sent the first new corms rotten with being in touch. I also am convinced that a newly grown corm which is grown in a proper medium, i.e. gritty soil, leafy compost, with peat moss, is more likely to be hardy and live than one which is comercially produced and overfed. I do give mine perhaps 2 or 3 feeds during the season with a high P&K tomato food, but it is only a small amount of watering. This may be enough just to give them a boost.

The plant has quite large leaves, with many 'spots', which are translucent films. The stems have a rusty red/brown colouring from the base and the plant is very attractive even without flowers.

A medium-vigorous hybrid that likely contains all of the best blood as far as summer callas: elliotiana, rhemanii and perhaps albomaculata. It is an nice midpoint in color between the oranges and the pinks, a real peachy color.
Almost all pinks are small, unspotted-leaf Z. rhemanii selections, but this one has other species in it that make it a larger plant with taller stems that are better for cutting. A dark eye adds a finishing touch.