Getting Buds To Open On Callas: How To Get Blooms On Calla Lilies

Many white calla lily flowers blooming in a garden

(Image credit: branex)

last updated 1 March 2023

It’s generally very easy to grow these showy flowers, but when calla lily buds don’t open, you miss out on their beauty. Getting buds to open on callas is not typically difficult, but there may be a few easy-fix problems going on with your plant. Tweaking one or two things should help you get your blooms back.

Why Doesn’t My Calla Lily Bloom?

As long as a calla lily is planted in the right spot and gets the right growing conditions, it should produce abundant blooms. On the other hand, if you have calla lilies not blooming, specifically if they bud but don’t open, then this may indicate a problem with the plants’ conditions:

The soil where your plant grows may be too dense or may contain too much heavy clay.
Your calla lily may be planted too deep in the soil.
You may be overwatering or underwatering your calla lily.
Your calla may need a little fertilizer to give it the necessary nutrients.

Another possibility for why your calla lily buds don’t open may be that it was forced to bloom early at the nursery. This may be the case if this is the first year you put the plant in your garden. If so, you will simply have to wait for next year to get more blooms.

How to Get Blooms on Calla Lilies

Once you have determined the potential reason that your calla lily isn’t blooming, fixing it should be simple. For instance, when watering, remember that these plants like moist soil that isn’t too soggy. Water it regularly, but make sure the soil drains well. If drainage or heavy soil is the issue, you may just need to transplant the calla lily to a better location in your garden.

If neither of these is the problem, try fertilizing your calla lily to get more blooms. Use a balanced fertilizer in early spring. It’s also important to know that the bulb of the calla lily stores nutrients over the winter, which come from the leaves. Don’t trim the leaves on your plant until they yellow or die, or you could be cutting off its nutrient supply.

"Why doesn’t my calla lily bloom?" is an easy question to answer. There are just a few simple things that you can try to make sure you get more blooms to enjoy throughout the growing season.

Mary Ellen Ellis has been gardening for over 20 years. With degrees in Chemistry and Biology, Mary Ellen's specialties are flowers, native plants, and herbs.