The joy of Cannas

When choosing your Canna make sure you either see what you are buying or buy from a reputable source like Hart Canna. I have been caught out many times and for the last time. I have over thirty varieties and it is a shame I do not know what they all are. Even the suppliers could not tell me and were not very helpful. Some refunds were given.

I successfully grow from seed ordered on line and home grown.

My favourites include Cleopatra, Ra, Bethany, Firebird, Panache and Indica Purpurea.

I have had three Canna Ra overwinter outside, in Essex, for the last five years and encouraged by that success I also left out during the winter 2017/18 with no protection, which was very cold and extremely wet, Firebird, Cleopatra, Cannova F1 yellow, Tropicanna( ?) and Pretoria all of which survived. Another Canna which came as Lucifer but is not, during July 2018 has just started to grow. In addition I accidentally left out a piece of Indica Purpurea in 2016 and is also still growing outside.

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In addition the unnamed varieties that were suppossed to be Lucifer, Stuttgart, Durban, Tropicanna and Wyoming.

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If you are looking for Tropicanna then go for Durban as they are one in the same as is Phasion. My Tropicanna have green leaves unfortunately so I bought Durban from Hart Canna.

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At the beginning of 2018 with division and seed I had 105 Cannas. Some I have planted out or sold.

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The Winter of 2018/2109 saw the survival outside of Ra, Firebird, Bethany, Cleopatra, Pretoria, Lucifer Stuttgart and I expect many more.

Happy to chat.

Ra

Bethany, ​Wyoming, Bengal Tiger ( previously classified as Pretoria Bengal Tiger), Black Knight, Bronze Scarlet, Cannova F1 Rosea,Cannova F1 Yellow, Cleopatra, Coccinea Bonfire, Lucifer,

Durban, Firebird, Grandiose, Indiana, Indica Purpurea, Louis Cottin, Panache, Perkeo, President, Ra, Red Bronze, Roi Humbert, Rosemond Coles, Society Belle, Stuttgart, Tuerkheimii, Trinervria Nirvana,  Tropicanna Black and an un-named red Canna ( my very first purchased many many years ago ).

Bethany

Firebird

I have already started to collect seed and Indica Purpurea has for the first time this year, 2018, produced seed.

See the propagation page for tips on growing from seed.

Indiana

The Cannas I have grown from seed this year, 2018, are Ra, Perkeo, Firebird, Tuerkheimii, Red Bronze and Bronze Scarlet. I did collect other seed but did not get around to sowing them.

Looking forward to seeing Tuerkheimii as it is the tallest of species Cannas which when mature can reach five metres at which point it will flower. Unfortunately our growing season is not long enough. They are already quite a size.

2018 was a strange year for my Cannas. You would have thought that with early heat we have had they would have flourished but they were very slow and even Firebird which has usually flowered from the beginning June waited until July to flower. They all can't stop flowering now.

Cannas come in a lot of colours and leaf variations. Cleopatra must be the most impressive and unusual. It has green leaves and may have  burgundy colouration. The flowers are yellow with splashes of red or red dots on the edges. The more burgundy on the leaf the redder the flowers. Last year I had several colour combinations on one plant. Green leaves, slight variegation and totally burgandy. The leaf colour will determine the flower colour ie all burgundy produces all red flowers.

Roi Humbert above and below

Louis Cottin

Indiana - left middle, Perkeo right - middle, Pretoria ( dark leaf version ) bottom right, Black Knight bottom left and Roi Humbert far left.

Stuttgart. Just purchased the one, Sept 18, on the left from Swallows in Rayleigh and the one on the right is one of five supplied by Marshalls. Clearly not what it is supposed to be. They have yet to comment on the variegation. I hope now that my collection is complete. Well maybe not!!!

Scarlet bronze above and below

Black Knight but flowers not as red as they should be.

Panache

Canna Ra seedlings 21 April 2019. They took about 3 weeks to germinate.

CARE OF CANNAS

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Really easy to grow and propogate from. Any reasonable garden soil will do. Provide a good feed when planting with liquid seaweed and some growmore. Will grow quite happilly in a pot. Do not allow to dry out but if you want a spectaculr show then regular watering will be needed. Even though Ra is one of the water Cannas I have found it to be quite drought tolerant but it's gowth will suffer slightly.

Most Canna corms will expand and likely outgrow it's pot distorting it in the process and can be difficult to remove if left too long. Divide with a sharp knife.

I have been leaving more and more of my collection in the ground over winter.

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Cannas will happily sit in a pond all summer long.

Tuerkheimii is a species Canna which will grow to 15' in it's natural environment at which point it will flower. Given our growing season is much shorter it is likely it will not reach that height and therefore not flower.