Calla Lily Flowers Turning Green: Reasons and Remedies!

There is no doubt the calla lily’s vibrant colors make this ever-popular indoor plant so attractive. Calla lilies are beautiful, which symbolizes devotion and purity. Occasionally, such beautiful flowers might turn green or pale white rather than remaining gloriously white.

Hence, you may wonder about Calla lily flowers turning green.

Calla lily flowers may turn green when they enter a dormancy period. Also, acclimation and natural aging can cause the spathes to turn green. Moreover, calla lilies may turn green due to cold temperatures, insufficient watering, and inadequate amount of nutrient mixture in the soil. 

As discussed in the article, your calla lily flowers are turning green for various reasons. And how you can prevent them. Let’s get to know them.   

Calla Lily Flowers Turning Green: Primary Reason

The main reason for the calla lilies to turn green is a purely natural phenomenon. The Dormancy period of mature plants is the main factor responsible for this occurrence. 

Calla lilies with green blooms are a normal part of the mature plant’s life cycle. There is nothing to worry about when they get green upon entering the dormant period. It is a natural process.

Calla lilies typically go through a dormant period during the winter months. During this time, the plant will stop producing new growth and the flowers may turn green. 

To fuel the next season’s bloom, the plant focuses energy on its leaves. It is best to cut off the flowers when they are limp and green to allow the plant to use all its resources to energize the rhizomes.

Caring for calla lilies in winter is different from other seasons. During the dormant period, it’s important to reduce the watering and fertilization of the plant. 

The soil should be kept slightly moist, but not waterlogged. It’s also a good idea to remove any yellow or dead leaves from the plant to help prevent the spread of disease.

Calla Lily Flowers Turning Green: Other Reasons And Remedies!

Apart from natural events, green calla lilies can also be caused by several factors. The following section is dedicated to those factors responsible for calla lily flowers turning green. Let’s figure out the cause and way to get over that one by one. 

Reason	Remedies
Insufficient light exposure	Provide ample indirect light
Lack of nutrients	Use soil mixture with adequate nutrients
Low-temperature	Avoid low-temperature environment
Insufficient watering	Water the plants once a day
Acclimation	Help to cope with environmental change

Inadequate Light Exposure:

Several factors can affect the color of a calla lily, one of which is inadequate light exposure. Like the rhaphidophora decursiva and tetrasperma, Calla lily prefers bright, indirect light. But if they get low light, the flowers may turn green.

Basically, the plant can’t produce adequate energy due to low light exposure. That can lead your calla lily to be turned green. The low-light environment forces the spathes to produce chlorophylls to help with the lack of energy.

Chlorophyll is the green pigment that stores energy from sunlight to use during photosynthesis. These green pigments produce a green hue.

Also, the spathes rearrange chlorophyll-containing chloroplasts to the surface to absorb more energy. Thus, making the flowers greener.

On the other hand, too much exposure to light can make the calla lily’s leaves yellow or brown. This may result in the flowers becoming paler. 

Remedy:

You must ensure adequate light to prevent your calla lily from turning green. A windowsill that receives morning and evening sun is the ideal location for a calla lily to prosper. 

Also, ensure that the plant has enough space to grow, as overcrowding can prevent the plant from receiving the light it needs. 

On the other hand, it’s important to avoid placing the plant in a location that receives direct sunlight for more than 6 hours. Because the leaves can be damaged, as well as the flowers. 

Using an Improper Amount of Fertilizer:

Aside from inadequate light exposure, another common reason for calla lily turning green is having a lack of nutrient levels. To grow and thrive, calla lilies need several key nutrients.

Nitrogen is a significant nutrient that helps with calla lily’s overall growth and development. It also assists the leaves in growing healthily and strongly. 

Phosphorus contributes to root systems’ development and calla lilies’ production. 

Furthermore, if you do not use enough potassium, your calla lilies may not turn out as expected because it helps the overall health and development of the plant. 

If a calla lily is not getting enough of these nutrients, it can cause the leaves to turn green. The plant may lack too much water or sunlight due to a soil deficiency. 

Moreover, applying too much fertilizer can damage the roots and foliage of the calla plants. You must also take this issue into consideration. 

Remedy:

You can help prevent this by regularly fertilizing your plants and ensuring they receive enough sunlight and water. Always use a standard amount of fertilizer. When the growing season is in full swing, the fertilizing session should be done 2-3 times a year.

Calla lilies need 3 pounds of nitrogen for every 1000 sq feet area. The recommended NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) ratio for these flowers is 5-10-10. This mixture ratio is also ideal when you compare ZZ supernova and raven plants.

Moreover, adding some compost to the potting mix is advisable to ensure enough growth and proper color of the calla lily.

Low-Temperature:

Usually, calla lily prefers warm temperatures. If it is exposed to low temperatures, the flowers can turn green. Especially when the flowers are exposed to 60° F and lower, the lilies may turn green. You must not panic because this is a natural response to the cold. 

Remedy:

Since it’s all about low temperatures, you need to ensure the perfect temperatures for a healthy calla lily blooming.  It is important to provide appropriate temperatures between 60° to 80° F if you want to prevent the flowers from turning green. When fall comes, you can follow some basic tips to keep the plants alive during winter.  

Insufficient Watering:

For a calla lily to flourish and stay healthy, it needs constant watering. Nevertheless, they do not tolerate standing water or constantly wet soil. Thus insufficient watering often causes calla lilies to turn green.

Remedy:

Getting rid of this kind of situation is completely in your hands. If you don’t want to turn the calla lily into a green color, make sure the plants are being watered adequately. 

Please follow this chart to learn about the time between each watering session, which is related to weather, and blooming conditions.

Time	Amount
Spring	4–5 days
Summer	2 days
Autumn	3 days
Winter	10 days
During Growth season	1 day
During Dormant period	7-10 days

Also, make sure that the soil is not constantly wet or submerged in water. Because overwatering can lead to rotten roots and leaves can turn yellow. 

Acclimation:

A plant changes its behavior and appearance due to changes in weather and environment, known as “Acclimation.” A new location or different growing conditions may cause calla lilies to undergo acclimation.

During the acclimation process, it’s common for calla lilies to experience alterations in their appearance, such as flowers turning green.

Remedy:

Make sure you’re providing appropriate sunlight, temperature, and water to help them acclimate more easily. 

During acclimation, the changes are temporary. And once they have adjusted to their new environment, the plants recover quickly. However, observe the plant’s progress and ensure it is well cared for in the future.   

How to Properly Care for Calla Lily

Knowing gardening tips can reduce the hassle of some unwanted circumstances. Here are some gardening tips for growing the calla lily plant.

1. Make sure to plant calla lilies in well-draining soil that is rich in nutrients. They prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH level ranging from 5.6 to 6.5. 
2. Calla lilies prefer bright, indirect light and can tolerate some direct sunlight. Avoid planting them in areas that receive full sun all day. As this can cause the leaves to turn brown. 
3. Make sure to water calla lilies regularly, but be careful not to overwater them. Also, allow the soil to dry out slightly between watering to prevent root rot. 
4. Apply a balanced fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season. You should choose a high-phosphorus fertilizer to encourage flower production. 
5. Several pests attack calla lilies, including aphids, thrips, and snails. Pests should be identified and removed as soon as possible.
6. In colder climates, calla lilies should be grown as annuals or as houseplants. They can be grown as perennials in warmer climates and should be divided every few years to keep them healthy and encourage new growth. 
7. Try to remove dead flowers regularly, encouraging the plant to produce more flowers.
8. Try to keep eggshells in the container of calla lilies because it works as a remedy to control slugs and increase soil nutrients.

By following these gardening tips, you can successfully grow and care for calla lilies in your garden or as indoor plants. 

What is the best way to deadhead a calla lily?

Calla lilies can be easily deadheaded. To remove weaker leaves and dead blooms, you only need a set of sterilized scissors. Cut away all destroyed parts, leaving just a short stub of the plant stem above the ground. As a result, the plant will be able to bloom next season.

Do calla lilies come back every year?

If you take good care of your calla lilies and provide the right growing conditions, they will return every year. Winter is their dormant period, and spring is their odor-filled period. 

Should calla lilies be indoor or outdoor?

Both indoors and outdoors are suitable for growing calla lilies. Container gardening is a great way to grow them as part of your indoor collection. Nevertheless, try not to plant them in direct sunlight.

Conclusion

Finally, we’ve come to an end of this delicate discussion about calla lily flowers turning green. Hopefully, you’ve found it helpful.

That’s all for today. Happy gardening.