Canna ‘lilies’ are part of the ginger family and not true lilies. This orange flower with distinctive red leaves that are like small banana leaves is very striking in the Autumn bed.

How to Grow Canna

• Grow Cannas from rhizomes that are firm and hard not soft. Plant out in spring.
• Cannas perform best if given some protection particularly through early summer.
• Whilst they are up to 3 feet tall they can manage without staking although it may be better to be safe than sorry.
• The flowers are typically fiery red, orange, or golden yellow or any combination of those colours, and grow on distinctive spikes.
• Canna will grow best in full sun in well-drained rich or sandy soil.
• Cannas can manage with little moisture so should be OK in summer droughts.

Selected Canna Species & Varieties

• Canna ‘Bandana of the Everglades, ‘Dwarf Texas Canna’ and ‘Louisiana Canna’
• Broad-leaved Canna’, ‘Iris Canna’
• ‘Chinese Canna’, or ‘Cinnabar Canna’
• Canna ‘Golden Canna’, Scarlet Canna’, ‘Yellow Canna’

In the UK Cannas should be lifted and stored in a frost free place over winter then planted out again in spring. They may survive outside in winter provided they are mulched thickly and planted in free draining soil.

Credits
Canna x generalis by dinesh_valke CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Canna flower by Mr.Mac2009 CC BY-NC 2.0