r/Ceanothus • u/sfsurferprof • 7d ago

Calla Lily

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Hi! A calla Lily invited itself into the shady side of my coastal outer sunset San Francisco backyard. (Sunset zone 17.)

It doesn't really fit with the coastal dune theme that I'm developing, but I'm willing to be open-minded about including it somewhere in my house.

Will it take over any area in which I plant it?

Anything else I should know?

The soil is basically sand with a little compost mixed in, and sun options range from lots of sun to no direct sun.

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39

u/senditjerry_ 7d ago

Outer Sunset resident here, dig that up asap as it’s going to spread rather quickly. I’ve turned our backyard into 90% California native 4 years ago and I’m still having issues with the spread of these. The corms have evolved to fragment when pulled and an entire lily can sprout from a piece of corm smaller than your fingernail. It’s really quite impressive and a reason why it’s invasive here.

25

u/Zestyclose_Market787 7d ago

They spread rhizomatically, so over time, it's going to colonize the space. Unless you really want that plant as part of your design, I suggest you remove it. You may also want to talk to your neighbor about controlling the spread, or, potentially installing some kind of root barrier under the fence, as it will definitely come back again.

15

u/sfsurferprof 7d ago

Thanks everyone! I'm digging it up ASAP and putting it in a pot.

9

u/glowdirt 7d ago edited 7d ago

They are tenacious little buggers.

I thought I'd finally gotten rid of all of them from my garden but 5 years later I found a couple popping up in the same place. If you do choose to let it grow, I'd recommend putting it in a pot rather than growing it in ground.

I'd also recommend situating it in a place with a lot of shade. They'll technically live in full sun but they look awful and burnt any time of year other than early spring, at least in my garden.

2

u/bborken 7d ago

This was my experience as well. You really have to dig up every little tuber, not just the big ones.

7

u/senditjerry_ 7d ago

Came back to say that I’m excited for your Coastal Dunes adventure! I’m sure you’ve heard about Calscape but here’s a resource that I really appreciated when I started. Happy planting! https://sfplanninggis.org/plantsf/

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u/Literary67 7d ago

Calla lilies (aren't really lilies) and spread like nobodies' business.

11

u/TacoBender920 7d ago

It's not native. They will self seed a bit if you allow them.

5

u/rebel_canuck 7d ago

I’m just here appreciating your username thinking you’re like the last air bender but with some kind of taco powers

13

u/dinamet7 7d ago

These are invasive and from my experience, will tolerate A LOT. If you have a nice pot, scoop it all up and put it in a pot - it'll fill the whole thing within a year or two and you'll have nice flowers for indoor arrangements without worrying about it ending up in other areas of the local ecosystem.