Family: Cannaceae
Botanical name: Canna
Common name: indian reed flower

Origin: South and Middle America

Flower colour: white, orange, yellow, pink, red, bicolor.

Flowering period: July-October

Average plant height: 80 -200 cm

Planting depth to base of bulbs: just deep enough to cover with soil

Spacing between bulbs: 30 cm

Type of bulb: rhizome

Light requirements: sun is essential (full AM sun)

Landscape uses: containers and borders

Canna is a half-hardy summer rhizome. Most often used in pots and containers, they are enjoying a resurgence in popularity as a prime summer garden plant. Here, they are divided into three groups: tall, brown-leafed varieties; tall, green-leafed varieties and dwarf varieties. The blooms are up to 5 inches (12.5 cm) and the leaves are very decorative. Canna will bloom longer if you remove dead flowers.

In warm climate zones Canna is perennial. In other areas the rhizomes should be lifted and stored in sand or peat.

Principal varieties

Green-leafed varieties

• ‘City of Portland’ – pink 
• ‘Richard Wallace’ – yellow 
• ‘Rosemond Coles’ – red, yellow-edged 
• ‘President’ – bright red

Dwarf (50-80cm) green-leafed varieties

• ‘Orchid’ – pink 
• ‘Lucifer’ – red 
• ‘Primrose Yellow’ – yellow

Brown-leaved varieties

• ‘Roi Humbert’ – orange/red 
• ‘Wyoming’ – orange 
• ‘Black Knight’ – red