PlantFiles: Canna Lily
Canna x generalis 'Black Knight'

I have had this plant for a few years now, and it is a very robust grower, remains healthy, but does need to be divided every year to encourage strong new growth. I keep it in deep plastic 10" pots, and when it begins to grow in Spring it pushes the side of the pots out, that is the time to divide.

The leaves are very large, I measured one of the new leaves to 2 feet long, they start off a dark, plum purple with deep green striping, maturing to a more mellow colour. All the pictures I see where it is offered are deep red, in reality they are a rich orange with a red flush, but this may alter according to soils and sun levels.

I grow it in a mixture of leafy compost with gritty river soil and Moss Peat, adding a little slow release fertiliser will provide it with extra food, I also have given it about 3 tomato food liquid feeds in the season. For a little care it will reward you well. It is overwintered in a cold greenhouse and has come through quite hard frosts to approx -9C so far, or 16F.

This variety can be grown in the ground with a good mulch, I haven't tried it yet but intend to do this year. It should be kept moist at all times, even through winter but not too wet.

My first canna bloom this year (this is a very warm winter). Planted it mid fall - large, scarlet bloom, very nice. My leaves are not so dark as others describe, more a purplish green, but a nice contrast to the blooms.

I don't have a pond but it survives on the graywater from my washing machine.

I have this very dark flowered canna 'Black Night', a very good red color! next to my very white flowered one 'New White'! right now both in full bloom towering over my fence in late November!. I love to show them both off. Hopefully they will bloom all winter long here in Southern California!. One year canna 'Black Night' did!.

My first canna and still one of my very favourites. Huge black red bloom over deep black green leaves. Medium height.
Excellent canna (o: