Nothing beats cannas for big, bold summer color. With flashy blooms and dramatic foliage that can reach 6 or more feet tall, this striking perennial is an eye-catching addition to your garden or patio containers. “Cannas bloom all season long and thrive even during the hottest parts of the summer,” says grower Nikki Snow ofHorn Canna Farm in Carnegie, Oklahoma. “They also do well in containers, so you can use them in pots as a living privacy screen along your patio.”
These plants often are called by their common name, but cannas actually are not lilies at all. The name comes from the Greek word “kanna,” meaning a reed or reed-like plant. The banana leaf type leaves and beautiful blooms grow from a rhizome, a type of fattened extension of the stalk, which resembles a piece of fresh ginger root, says Snow.
Nikki Snow is a grower at Horn Canna Farm in Carnegie, Oklahoma.
Here’s everything you need to know about growing and caring for cannas in the South:
Plant Attributes Canna CareCannas are easy to grow and don’t need a lot of hands-on care after planting. Deadheading faded blooms is not necessary, but it can neaten up the look of the plant. But be careful not to snip off the entire bloom because new flowers are developing underneath the spent blossom, says Snow.
If you like, you can feed cannas during the growing season with a 5-10-5 or 10-10-10 granular fertilizer to encourage more blooms.
LightMake sure cannas receive at least four hours of direct sunlight per day in order to bloom well.
SoilCannas do well in a variety of soil types from heavy clay to sand and tolerate neutral to slightly acidic pH levels.
WaterWater cannas at planting time, then throughout the season if it’s dry. They do best with a deep soaking every
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