This genus of tropical flowers comes in many colorful varieties
Cannas(Cannaspp.)
Their flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds.
Canna leaves are wide and long (resembling banana leaves) in green, bronze, or multicolored patterns.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Most cannas grow up to six feet tall and occasionally as tall as eight feet.
Although most people think cannas grow from bulbs, they are not true bulbs.
Technically speaking,these plants grow from rhizomes, modified stems that store nutrients and send up shoots.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Throughout their hardiness zone, cannas can remain in the ground as true perennials.
Best planted from rhizomes in the early spring, cannas can take a few weeks to sprout.
After sprouting, they grow at a fairly quick pace and typically flower in their first year.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Fun Fact
Canna is a genus with ten species.
Most of the cannas grown today are horticultural cultivars.
The name “canna lily” is misleading because botanically, cannas are not lilies.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Soil
Cannas can tolerate a variety of soils with proper drainage.
They prefer rich soils that are high in organic matter.
Asoil pHof roughly 6.5 is ideal, but cannas can handle a wide range of acidic to neutral soils.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Water
Water cannas once or twice a week.
The soil should be kept uniformly moist but not soggy.
Overly wet soil can lead to rot.
In areas that have relatively cool springtime temperatures, canna growth might start slowly.
These plants are native to tropical zones, so they do well in warm and humid conditions.
Fertilizer
Cannas are heavy feeders.
Propagating Canna
Cannas are readily propagated by digging up the rhizomes and dividing them for replanting.
Do this early in the spring or in the fall.
Choose a container that is no smaller than 16 inches in diameter with adequate drainage holes.
A large container reduces the chance of the plant becoming top-heavy and tipping over as it matures.
check that the container hasgood drainage, and fill it with quality potting soil.
Because cannas are heavy feeders, mix some slow-release fertilizer into your potting soil before planting.
Maintain adequate moisture but do not make the soil overly wet.
Move the pots outdoors or plant them in the ground after the danger of frost has passed.
you could bring container-grown plants indoors for the winter.
But the worst pest is a caterpillar known as the canna leaf roller.
Canna leaves have a waxy coating that helps resist fungal diseases, however, they can haveseveral other problems.
They are susceptible to rust fungus, canna mosaic virus, and aster yellows.
Observe foliage that appears sickly and discolored.
With rust fungus, you often can simply remove the affected leaves.
How to Get Canna to Bloom
Cannas typically bloom in the summer months between June and October.
Here’s how to get cannas to bloom:
How Long Does Canna Bloom?
you’re able to expect to see blooms after about 10 to 12 weeks of planting rhizomes.
What Do Canna Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Some blooms are solid in color or have contrasting spots, giving the flower two different variations in color.
Making sure that the rhizomes have eyes is also critical to them taking well.
you’re able to divide canna plants by splitting the rhizomes into sections and replanting them.
Each section should have two to three “eyes” or growing points.
While canna is usually grown from rhizomes, it is possible to grow them from seeds.
To grow canna from seed, sow seeds indoors in February in a seed-starting soil.
Soaking the seeds in water for up to two days can help with germination.
