Zantedeschia aethiopica is the one arum or calla lily of its genus that may be either deciduous like all the others, or evergreen where run-off from the winter rain and milder temperatures allow it to remain so. Gardeners can also achieve this with diligent watering or planting them in the 'wet spot'.

This is also the arum with the largest distribution area, viz. from the Cape all along the south and east coasts of South Africa, then inland in KZN, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The tubers (or maybe rhizomes) are popular porcupine food, supporting their survival amidst the gradual, but serious reduction of the porcupine land claim.

The dense fruit structure, a little like a miniature pineapple, enhances the similarity when the ripening fruits turn orange.