‘Maui Sunset’ canna, under planted with ‘Kong’ coleus, strikes a dramatic pose in the garden.
© Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
When I was a little girl, I’d trek down the alley to my great grandmother’s house a block away. Her side yard was a gardener’s bounty, with a circle of tall red cannas at the center. Whenever I see these stately plants, I think of her and her garden.
Although cannas (Canna) are an old-fashion flower, they provide a trendy, tropical feel to the garden, deck, patio, porch or balcony. Ranging in height from about 2 to 6 feet, they are as dramatic in the ground as they are in pots.
A canna is a rhizome, and can be found already growing in pots in garden centers this time of year. Or, rhizomes can be purchased at garden centers in early spring in a package or through online or mail order retailers. Pot these up in March to get the growing process started before transplanting outdoors in mid to late May.
Look for virus-free rhizomes and plants. For the last 10 years, cannas have been troubled by one of three viruses, spread, the experts say, by aphids. The virus can cause malformed leaves or flowers and create speckles or streaks in the foliage. When buying canna plants, make sure they are symptom free.
The fact that cannas have red, yellow, orange, pink, off-white or speckled flowers and that hummingbirds like the blooms is sort of a bonus. To many, the real beauty of the plant is the lush foliage. Depending on which cultivar you have, the leaves will be green, purple, golden or striped.
Cannas are tough plants and do best when planted in full sun, but are quite tolerant of shadier locations. They can take it wet or dry, but prefer soil that is well drained and evenly moist. Cannas also can be planted or grown in pots in the margin or edge of ponds or water gardens. The blue-green leafed cannas seem best suited for pond planting.
There’s nothing quite like a canna leaf striped with green, red, purple or yellow, backlit by the late afternoon sun. It just screams tropics. Flowers and leaves can be cut for indoor arrangements.
After the tops are killed by cold temperatures, remove the foliage, dig and dry the rhizome and store in a cool, dry place. Pot up next spring for another season of beauty.