Canna indica
Canna lily
Common names: Indian shot
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 15 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jul–Sep
- Hardiness
- Frost-sensitive
Photo: Muhamad Izzul Fiqih · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
The Canna lily produces wide, often reddish‑brown veined leaves and bright flowers in red, orange, or yellow, adding an exotic accent to beds. Native to tropical America, it thrives best in wet garden beds near ponds or as a striking container plant on terraces. Flowers appear from July to September, attracting bees and other pollinators. The plant is heat‑loving and cannot tolerate frost; its rhizomes require a frost‑free winter location.
Care instructions
Plant the rhizomes after the last frost (around mid‑May, week 20) in a sunny, sheltered spot. Cannas are thirsty and appreciate nutrient‑rich, moist soil; in wet beds or containers they can receive slightly more water. Remove spent flowers regularly to extend blooming into autumn. Before the first frost, dig up the rhizomes, clean them, and store them cool and dry at about 5 to 10 °C over winter, e.g., in a cellar in a box with slightly damp substrate. Varieties such as ‘Durban’ with variegated foliage also need the same winter care.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJul–Sep
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, nutrient-rich, humus-rich, well-drained
Canna wants strong, humus-rich soil that holds moisture but does not become waterlogged. A nutrient-rich garden soil with some loam content supports vigorous growth best. The rhizome does not tolerate waterlogging in winter; in summer the soil may happily stay evenly moist.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
May–Jul
In spring, work mature compost or well-rotted manure into the planting area before the rhizomes are set. During the main growing season from May to July, canna appreciates an additional dose of compost or a drench of diluted nettle liquid feed. Stop feeding from August so that the plant ripens in good time before winter.
Overwintering
Canna is not hardy in Central Europe and must be lifted from the bed before the first frost. Dig up the rhizomes after the first light frost, let them dry, and overwinter them frost-free and lightly moist in sand or peat substitute at 5 to 10 degrees. Plants grown in containers can, with winter protection, also be overwintered in a bright, cool place indoors.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
The simplest method is dividing the rhizomes in spring before new growth, with each piece bearing at least one or two eyes. Plant the divided pieces outdoors or in containers straight after the last frosts, from mid-May · week 20. Sowing is also possible, but much slower: soak the hard seeds in warm water for a few hours before sowing or nick them lightly so that they germinate better. Plants grown from seed usually only flower in the second year.
For your garden
Grow Canna lily yourself
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