Zantedeschia 'Hercules'

Zantedeschia 'Hercules'

	A very large growing Zantedeschia, the white spotted leaves suggest a hybrid origin. I was given an offshoot by a kind friend earlier in the year, and it has grown rapidly and resisted damage in the wind, which is a useful attribute. Usually listed as a cultivar of Z. aethiopica, there have been suggestions that it might be a hybrid, although that seems unlikely. Krzysztof Kozminski wrote on the International Aroid Society webpage in 1996: "My wife and I have found this small grove of huge callas frowing in San Francisco's Strybing Arboretum. After some detective work done by (?) it turned out that the records of the Strybing Arboretum show that the plant originated from Western Hills Nursery in Occidental, CA and is called simply Zantedeschia 'Hercules'. It is likely to have Z. aethiopica as a parent if it is a hybrid." Plant Delights say: "This introduction from California's famed Western Hills Nursery forms upright clumps composed of large, hastate, white-spotted leaves that, for us, reach 3' or taller when mature. We have not found this to grow as large as Zantedeschia 'White Giant'. In late spring, Zantedeschia 'Hercules' clumps are topped with 4' tall spikes ending in a large white chalice. Our plants are from the clone that has been grown for years at Strybing Arboretum." Western Hills Garden says: "Lester Hawkins and Marshall Olbrich began planting at Western Hills shortly after purchasing the property in 1959. The plant collection grew organically as they brought back seeds of rare trees, shrubs, and perennials from their travels around the world. They also had an extensive mail correspondence and seed exchange with international plant enthusiasts. " Marshall Olbrich introduced several new cultivars into the horticultural trade developed here at Western Hills. These include Marshall's azalea (Azalea occidentalis) , the spotted Hercules lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica 'Hercules'), Grevillea x 'Marshall Olbrich' and Veronica (formerly Hebe) ‘Western Hills’.
31st August 2008

San Marcos Growers say:

"This is a robust herbaceous perennial that forms a large clump of very large arrow-shaped, white-spotted leaves and flowers that can reach to 6 to7 feet tall. As with other Zantedeschia aethiopica plants, the showy part of the flower is actually a bract called a spathe that surrounds the spike of fragrant yellow flowers in the center that is called a spadix.
We grew Zantedeschia aethiopica 'Hercules' from 1994 until the year 2000. It is very similar if not the same as another large calla calledZantedeschia aethiopica 'White Giant', which we have continued to grow since 2007. We first received 'Hercules' from garden designer Eric Nagelmann who purchased it at Lester Hawkins and Marshall Olbrich's famed Western Hills Nursery in Occidental, California. It was introduced into the California nursery trade from this nursery in the 1970s or early 80s and later sold at plant sales held at the Strybing Arboretum (now San Francisco Botanic Garden).
It is unclear whether 'Hercules' originated at Western Hills Nursery or if it came to them earlier from another source. Confusing the issue, Western Hills Nursery apparently propagated the plant both by division and from seed and sold seedling plants that lacked spots on the leaves. This has caused some to grow plants labeled Hercules that are larger than typical Zantedeschia aethiopica but have solid green colored leaves lacking any spots.
The San Diego area mail order nursery Kartuz Nursery sold both the unspotted and spotted forms of the plant and choose to call the solid green one 'Hercules' and the spotted one 'Spotted White Giant' and noted that it was the one with spots on the leaves that was the clone that the San Francisco Botanical Garden grows as 'Hercules'. "

From which I have learned that it sets seed, which means it is unlkikely to be a hybrid.


12th December 2009

References:

Plant Delights Nursery, https://www.plantdelights.com/products/zantedeschia-aethiopica-hercules?srsltid=AU7gw4UiIpJxE3Aq0YE1kqicdx4B4tMj_qliophJvCxL5cgjSujipZIt , accessed 22.09.2026.

Western Hills Garden, https://www.westernhillsgarden.com/collection , accessed 22.09.2026.

International Aroid Society, https://www.aroid.org/aroids (under construction) , accessed 22.09.2026.

San Marcos Growers, https://www.smgrowers.com/Products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1633 , accessed 22.09.2026.