Canna Tropicanna®: The original Tropicanna, Tropicanna Gold, and Tropicanna Black
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Cannas
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Planting
Cannas need full sun for good flowering and consistently moist soil with a pH of around 6.0-6.5. Add lime before planting if your garden soil is acidic (low pH). Position plants away from strong wind; their large, soft leaves are vulnerable to damage.
When to Plant Cannas
- Cannas can not tolerate cold temperatures. The soil must be 60ºF or warmer before planting rhizomes—often the time when folks put tomatoes in the ground. See our Planting Calendar for tomato-planting dates. Dig a small hole 2 inches deep and insert a thermometer to determine soil temps.
- In cold, short-season areas, start canna rhizomes in pots indoors or in a greenhouse, ready to transplant outdoors at the right time.
How to Plant Cannas
- Space rhizomes 1-1/2 to 2 feet apart to give cannas enough room. Containers need to be at least 18 inches in diameter (per rhizome).
- Before planting, loosen the soil to a depth of 1 foot, then mix in 2 to 4 inches of compost.
- Dig a hole 2 inches deep and set the rhizome 1 to 2 inches below the soil with the “eyes” (bumps or nodes, which are growth sprouts) pointed up.
- Cover with 1 to 2 inches of soil. Tamp firmly.
- Water thoroughly, then withhold water for as long as three weeks and watch for signs of growth. Cannas are slow to sprout. Once sprouted, water at least once a week by slowly soaking the area around the roots.
- Full foliage color develops when days are warmer (59ºF or more). Blooms should appear in 10 to 12 weeks.
- Cannas should not need to be staked as they have strong, upright stems.
Photo Courtesy of Anthony Tesselaar Plants
- ‘City of Portland’: 4 to 5 feet tall; green foliage with coral-pink flowers
- Ehemann’s canna: 5 to 8 feet tall; green foliage with deep rose-pink flowers
- ’Pretoria’, aka Bengal Tiger: 4 to 6 feet tall; variegated yellow-and-green striped foliage with orange flowers
- ‘Futurity Red’: 2 to 4 feet tall, on average; burgundy foliage with crimson flowers; self-cleaning (drops spent flowers)
- ‘Toucan Yellow’: 21/2 to 4 feet tall; deep green foliage with golden-yellow flowers
- For a tall canna, the Canna Tropicanna® is a popular choice. Growing 4 to 6 feet tall, ‘Tropicanna’® boasts tangerine, iris-like blooms and exotic bronze foliage. Plant in the back of your garden bed or large containers for a dramatic statement on your porch or patio.
- A medium-size gem is ‘Los Angeles’, which has large, deep pink florets and opens out so that you can see the face. Growing 4 to 5 feet tall, this canna blooms from June to August.
As well as medium- to tall-size cannas, you can find smaller “dwarf” sizes and dramatic “giant” sizes!
- Dwarf cannas stand 2 to 4 feet tall and are easy to fit into our downsized modern gardens. The ‘Picasso’ is a real attention-getter with bright yellow flowers and deep red leopard-like spots; it blooms from July to frost. The ‘Wyoming’ has dark burgundy stems and lush orange flowers that bring life to a quiet bed from mid-summer until frost.
- Interested in a giant canna? One of the most popular is the ‘Musifolia,’ which grows up to 8 feet! With 3-foot-long red-vein leaves and red blooms, it makes a statement.
Catherine Boeckmann
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My Canna Lilies are enormous. They go from 8 to 10 feet tall. Is this normal?
I have been growing canna's for 3 years now. Each year they get taller. Last year, 2015, they produced 200 bulbs. This year we have some that have reached 11 and 12 ft. We have them planted in several locations on our property and the tallest are where they are wet most of the time. We laid a flag stone area next to our deck where is was always damp from the run off of the house and a shaded area. Now the water runs under the stone, keeping our feet dry, and the canna's wet. We water them heavy when rain is scarce. I tell everyone who stops to take pictures, water, water, water. It looks like a jungle and the privacy it great. The bulbs are lifting the flagstone along the edge. Should be another good year.
Most canna varieties are not this tall, however, the Giant canna varieties grow to an average height of 6 to 8 feet.
I have acquired some Lillies, the flowers have died on them now and I just wondered do I cut the stems down, do I dig them up and replant them in the Springtime.
Most of the Lillies are 6ft in height and are in pots. I would like to grow them in the garden, can I lift them now and plant them in the garden, or do I wait till Autumn to do this.
I hope you can help.
Thank you.
Cannas are only winter hardy in zones 7 to 10. In warmer zones, you need to lift the roots or rhizomes and store indoors for the winter. Do this just after the first killing frost. More information is above.
Hi,
I have large (6ft) Canna lilies planted in a containers (1 in each) along with 3ft canna's and
and hanging creeping Jenny. It is mid August and the Large ones have not bloomed yet where
the 3ft canna lilies have. Is this normal?
Cannas can be just a little bit picky. They like sunlight and water. Are they getting enough, say 6 hours of sun? Is the soil consistently moist? But not soggy? They may be planted too deeply; 2 to 3 inches is deep enough. Too deep can also be too wet. They like rich, organic soil. And can do with a monthly fertilizer that is higher in phosphate (than nitrogen, which encourage stem and foliage growth).
We hope this helps.
My canna is potted, repotting is needed badly, two out of six green buds have gone a blackish brown. My gutt tells me to pinch them back. How can I prevent the remaining green buds from taking the same route? Pete
Very helpful.
What are the fuzzy bulb after bloom
