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At some point in the heat of summer most gardeners long for a little of the tropics in their gardens. Finding a dependable tropical-looking garden plant can be hard, but look no more and welcome to the wonderful world of cannas!
Cannas are one of the most amazing garden plants you can grow. There are few easier to grow garden plants that will also give that tropical shot into the garden and ask for so little in return. This is a primer on how to add cannas to your landscape and give your garden a wonderful tropical feel.
Cannas live in full sun. They love the sun. In fact, cannas will only grow well in full sun. Give them shade and they may never bloom. Give these same cannas some sun light and they will reach for the sun and grow taller and better.
Soil requirements are rather simple. Cannas will live in any rich soil with lots of natural matter. Cannas may live in poor soil but the leaf size and color will suffer. In the end, the blooms might be smaller or the color may be dull.
Water is another matter. The soil must be kept moist and even in standing water cannas will thrive. Cannas can take small periods of dry soil but they cannot take drought situations. Cannas are a tropical plant and, like most tropical plants, they need to live in moist, wet areas.
Feeding your cannas is simple. At the end of the year you may cut down the cannas and dig the rhizomes or leave them in the ground depending on your zone. Just add a layer of compost to the top of the soil. This compost dressing will keep the soil rich and ready for the next years growth and stunning blooms.
How deep you plant the rhizome depends on where you live. In the southern areas where cannas can be left in ground year round, plant 6-8 inches deep. In the northern areas, you will want to plant cannas in a shallow trench to make digging in the fall rather simple. Cannas are a wonderful thing in the southern areas because they will move closer to the soil level or deeper in the soil depending on what they need.
What to do then? Leave them and let them grow! In the southern areas were you can leave them in the ground year round this is it. Top dress with compost each year and these will be wonderful additions in your gardens. In the northern areas you will need to dig the rhizomes in the fall before the first hard freeze and store in a cool dark place. Plant again in the spring after all danger of frost is past and the ground can be worked.
What other plant gives you so much summer punch and needs so little in return? There is none. These are the most carefree and easy going plants that anyone can grow and love. In time you will be able to trade your ever-growing extras for new colors or other wonderful plants.
Photos Are Used With Permission under a GNU Free Documentation License and a dear friend.
About M Fitzgerald
I am a pentecostal preacher, gardener,husband, and a father. I love natives, daylilies, iris, and roses. I love teaching others, be they children or adults, about the garden and plants.
Posted by luckysue (from Columbus, NC) on November 17, 2007 at 11:16 AM:
My cannas have multiplied rapidly and are now tightly woven together. I'm wondering when to transplant them and how far apart they should be planted so I'm not having to dig up these big clumps of bulbs every year. Thanks.
...
Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 17, 2007 at 7:08 PM:
Spring to early summer, and I plant mine at least 2 feet apart.
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Posted by baroness (from Pagadian City
(Philippines)) on November 22, 2007 at 9:48 AM:
My cannas or as we call them locally as "bandera espaņola" have been growing well. If you plant near each other different color varieties, their suckers will have a two-color combination flower when it blooms. . . They just make my garden colorful and vibrant.
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Subject: cannas
Posted by maryellent (from Washington, IL) on November 13, 2007 at 5:07 PM:
my father in law turned this transplanted ny er into a mid west gardener his first offering was canna bulbs and what fun ever since (5 years) i'm in washington il and some of the wandering bulbs i miss in the fall dig manage to come up the next year..... looking for some more colors i have red and yellow so far
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Subject: tropical plants
Posted by rose888 on November 12, 2007 at 7:55 PM:
11/12/07
Hi Mitch,
I also am an avid fan of tropical plants... There's one plant I'm interested in called ylang-ylang...My first plant died after about 3 months after buying it... I'm in Northern Calif. and I only want to plant outside and not bring them inside the house... The weather probably killed it cause I
planted it on the ground....I would like to buy another one...but might just die again and they're quite expensive to me...
Will appreciate any advise from you...
Thanks..
...
Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 12, 2007 at 9:41 PM:
Rose - I am very sorry but I have no idea about growing that plant. Have you tried both the Tropical Gardening Forum and the House Plant Forum? They are both great place to learn and ask questions - after looking this new plant up I might be right over there with you asking myself how to grow them!
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Subject: Newbee and Canna's
Posted by drapelady (from Denham Springs, LA) on November 12, 2007 at 1:14 PM:
Hi Mitch,
Sent you a dmail
Debbie
This message was edited Nov 12, 2007 2:10 PM
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Subject: Great multipliers also
Posted by Annepaola (from Manahawkin, NJ) on November 12, 2007 at 9:59 AM:
When I was working I would see my neighbor plant and dig up cannas. I thought I would never be bothered with doing that chore. Then I was given two large roots of ordinary Indian Shot cannas and after a few summers trying them in the ground and in planters not offering sufficient sun, I started growing them in big pots filled with compost from our Conservation Center. They bloom and grow quite large, and multiply to the extent that I can hardly find recipients enough for the roots. In one case the roots got so vigorous that they cracked open a new plastic pot. They are marginally hardy in my zone, so this year I am going to leave a few in the ground to see if they will survive. Most will be cut back and stored right in their pots in a warm shed and our crawl space and about half will be divided in the early spring. I am branching out a bit with some of the more attractive forms such as Tropicana.
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Subject: Cannas
Posted by curlycreepers (from Wauchope
(Australia)) on November 12, 2007 at 7:15 AM:
Any suggestions as to an environmentally friendly spray I can use on cannas, and also, how do I stop the snails from disfiguring the leaves?
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 12, 2007 at 7:58 AM:
Have you tried the canna forum? I never spray my leaves - and I have an organic garden so holes are just a part of it to me.
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Posted by Gardenshadow_z6 (from Sterling Heights, MI) on November 12, 2007 at 9:02 AM:
Mitch - Enjoyed your article on Cannas. We do our entire back yard in tropical plants every summer. We blend a few Cannas with Elephant Ears, Tropical Hibisscus, etc. Is there a chart available to discribe the many kinds of Cannas and the height and flower each will have ? We're looking for tall and medium height with large flowers. Any suggestions, Mitch ?
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Posted by imapigeon (from Gilroy, CA) on November 12, 2007 at 5:02 PM:
I've been able to use environmentally-friendly Sluggo granules to stop the snail and slug damage on my cannas. I just have to remember to sprinkle it around them lightly every 3 - 4 weeks. Really helps!!!
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 12, 2007 at 7:23 PM:
Gardenshadow - head over to the canna forum and see if they can give you tips.. and they might share too!
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Subject: Cannas in shade? Maybe so...
Posted by JaxFlaGardener (from Jacksonville, FL) on November 7, 2007 at 12:56 PM:
Thanks for the informative article, Mitch. I take slight exception with the statement that cannas don't do well in shade. I've mixed cannas in with my ginger plants (mostly shaded location) and they do reasonably well there, blooming nicely, and growing to a good height. I also have some out by my front curb that are shaded by pine trees and nearby shrubs. It may be that in the South, where the sun is hot and bright, they can do O.K. in shade.
I would be interested in knowing if other southern gardeners provide some shade for their cannas.
Jeremy
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 7, 2007 at 1:25 PM:
Really? I am going to have to try that!
...
Posted by littlemick (from Maryville, TN) on November 7, 2007 at 5:43 PM:
I do. The ones in full sun do get much taller and bloom better. We have also had the worst drought in recorded history here this year , complete with 2 months of water restrictions, and the Cannas were magnificent. I lost half or my garden, but the water loving Roses and Cannas came through. Go figure. An old fashioned Althea, with large white blooms, also did great and bloomed all summer with no water.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 7, 2007 at 6:26 PM:
I never ever water canna here - just have them at the bottom of a slope, they just do good.
Roses - once really there can take times with out water, just look at graveyards they always have a few roses here and there.
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Posted by planolinda (from Plano, TX) on November 11, 2007 at 11:08 AM:
thanks for the new info--i have had canna for years-came with the house--but never pretty --now i think i know why--my soil is bad and they are not kept moist--i will treat them better and see what happens--
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Posted by junkit66 (from Brunswick, OH) on November 12, 2007 at 10:01 AM:
Informative article Mitch. I also like Canna and have planted them in different areas around my property. I'm from OH and I've found that it's best to remove the rizones. I left them in the ground one year and with plenty of protection and they wound up rotting. It wasn't until I made a water theme in my backyard, planted the rizones in containers that were made for water Lilies, and take them in for the winter.
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Posted by squirrelycat (from Vicksburg, MS) on November 12, 2007 at 11:40 AM:
The news about Cannas growing in shade is reassuring, since my mother-in-law just gave me about 3 plastic grocery bags full of rhizomes with their fading foliage!! our lot is very wooded and we have high shade. There are only a
few spots that get some sun, but they aren't all in areas where we want plantings.
So, thanks! I'll put 'em in the ground and see what happens next year. I can
always relocate them......that's what I love about bulbs and rhizomes.
Vicksburg, Mississippi
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Posted by chenson (from Summerville, SC) on November 26, 2007 at 8:12 PM:
I can assure you if you plant cannas in the shade they will not do well. I have them in full sun in a ditch full of water, I have them in lite shade on the side of the house with irrigation and they will do just fine in both locations. I have them in full sun with no water and they are stunted and look unkept. Water is the key. I never thought to apply compost to an established bed,good info.
...
Posted by JaxFlaGardener (from Jacksonville, FL) on November 27, 2007 at 10:23 AM:
It may be our hot, humid summers in Florida that require a helping assist to the cannas by placing them in the shade. Plants that are rated for "full sun" for most zones do benefit by having a few hours of rest from our relentless hot sun. But I think you are correct, chenson, in saying that ample water is the key to good cannas. Since I grow most of my cannas alongside my ginger plants, they are kept wet most of the time.
Jeremy
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 27, 2007 at 10:54 AM:
Water is the big key - give them lots of water and room to grow and they will wow you each and every time...
I add a lot of compost to all my beds each year.
...
Subject: Nice Dream Mitch! Thank you!
Posted by debnes_dfw_tx (from Fort Worth, TX) on November 7, 2007 at 8:41 AM:
Mitch!
I am so glad you wrote the article on growing Cannas! I have been doing so much research I am cross-eyed. Finding the historical info was very difficult, but I found some as it relates to the way I am going with it. (As you may know, my angle is really more geared to the plant as a larval host.) You filled in many of the areas I wouldn't have room to cover. I am already pushing it with the word count as it is, just writing about the Skipper. So your article was perfect in more ways than one..... If it is published you will see what I mean. LOL!
I will put a link to your article when I post it...
Thanks!!
debnes
This message was edited Nov 7, 2007 6:43 AM
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 7, 2007 at 8:50 AM:
Thank you - the articles will work best when they work together!
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Posted by debnes_dfw_tx (from Fort Worth, TX) on November 7, 2007 at 8:54 AM:
I agree bro~
debnes
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Posted by frostweed (from Arlington, TX) on November 7, 2007 at 9:04 AM:
Very nice article Mitch and very pretty pictures, keep up the good work.
Josephine.
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Posted by McGlory (from Southeast, NE) on November 7, 2007 at 12:18 PM:
I've not had very good luck because the leaves shred badly in our wind. Your article was inspiring though. May have to re-think my decision not to plant cannas again....
Thank you for a great article with such good pictures!
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Posted by LouC (from Desoto, TX) on November 7, 2007 at 1:01 PM:
Beautiful. As you know, Mitch, mine are healthy to the point of greatness. The pictures are beautiful.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 7, 2007 at 1:26 PM:
I wish I had tought to have a photo taken of yours.... that is a huge area of cannas and really makes a statement.
...
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on November 7, 2007 at 4:47 PM:
Nice article about a wonderful plant. Thanks Mitch.
...
Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 7, 2007 at 5:12 PM:
Thank you - it is one of my top plants.. fills in and just blooms like a mad man.
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Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on November 7, 2007 at 8:02 PM:
They are beautiful---is there a variety that blooms quicker? A friend keeps trying to give me some, but I notice hers are barely blooming when they get hit with frost up here---makes me wonder if, in the northern, north, it is really worth it?
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 7, 2007 at 9:57 PM:
I know several people up North who grow them in pots, or start them indoors and transplant out in the Spring.
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Posted by juliechmiel (from Florence, KY) on November 12, 2007 at 10:19 AM:
I am not that far up North ( right below Cincinnati OH) but we have weird weather - I started mine in pots and the took them out when the weather was stable - left some in the pots and transplanted others into the ground... and I had lovely plants/flowers until jsut a few weeks ago when the first frost hit. Try getting some tubers from Horn's Cannas like I did... they were huge and healthy and quite reasonable in price - shipped fast as well and great customer service.
Good luck! Julie
...
Posted by debnes_dfw_tx (from Fort Worth, TX) on November 12, 2007 at 10:44 AM:
Julie~
You said your "into the ground" Cannas were hit by frost. Did they survive after that?
I hear they need to be planted deeper and mulched/protected to survive that far north. In cold places such as Canada, they must always come inside.
Do you just cut the ones outside to the ground ~ and cover them when frost comes?
debnes
...
Posted by nolafwug (from Metairie, LA) on November 12, 2007 at 5:10 PM:
The only negative thing I've observed about cannas (and gingers too) - at least in the New Orleans area - is how brown and ratty they can look. But you needn't have brown canna leaves. We moved into a place that had a large stand of cannas in the back yard. They looked so bad we were going to remove them but then I saw an amazing yellow and orange spotted flower amidst the wreckage. I did some research and come to find out you can cut them down to the ground and they will grow back - and fast! In fact, that was the recommended way for dealing with the canna leaf roller pest, which I suspected was part of our problem. I cut away all of the brown and/or rolled-up leaves (most of the foliage but not all - there was still some green) in September and in October I had a huge stand of cannas again (about 6 feet tall) with perfect green leaves and now I am enjoying more flowers and have not seen any more rolled-up leaves. Pest problem solved! Truly amazing plants!
...
Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 12, 2007 at 7:26 PM:
Right - they need cut down once a year in the fall and will come back with several times bigger in the spring.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on November 12, 2007 at 10:08 PM:
If I'm being totally honest (do you watch American Idol, LOL) I thought your article was nice but brief and was disappointed not to find any info about digging them and storing for the winter as some of us more northern gardeneners have been debating lately.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 13, 2007 at 8:02 AM:
Sorry - I am a Southern Gardener, I have lived in 7b or south my whole life and we never ever dug. I would rather not give information I dont know then to give the bad and wrong information.
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on November 13, 2007 at 10:59 AM:
I do understand. It would be a great article for a southern publication. Looks copy ready to me at least. No hard feelings I hope.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on November 13, 2007 at 6:33 PM:
No - never a problem. I hope that some of the Northern gardeners will also write some articles on these plants too - they are great plants to have in the garden.
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Posted by juliechmiel (from Florence, KY) on November 19, 2007 at 9:06 PM:
hi there - my plants were "taken" by the frost, turned brown, and then I immediately dug them up - the tubers seem fine - both the ones that were in the ground and the ones that were in pots - I checked on them the other day and are still firm - I read you need to mist them so they do not dry out in storage. They are all stored in the garage and my basement storage area. I have a good feeling about them making it - this is my first year storing them so I will keep you all posted. I am in love with them though - esp the ones with burgandy leaves! so no matter if I have to reorder every year I will be doing so~ happy gardening!!!
