Canna lilies transform gardens into lush, tropical retreats. Known for bold foliage and colorful blossoms, these striking plants provide significant visual impact, making them a favored choice.
Why Canna Lilies Enhance Your Landscape
Canna lilies add visual drama to any garden. Their large, paddle-shaped leaves, often in green, bronze, or variegated patterns, create striking textural contrast. These impressive plants reach 1.5 to 8 feet, establishing a strong vertical element.
Vibrant, iris-like flowers bloom in reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, and creams, providing continuous color from early summer until frost. Cannas thrive in warm climates with full sun and consistent moisture, flourishing even in intense summer heat. Despite their exotic appearance, canna lilies are low maintenance once established, making them accessible for many.
Strategic Design with Canna Lilies
Choosing Canna Varieties
Choosing the right canna variety is key for your design. Varieties range from dwarf types (around 3 feet tall) to towering giants (exceeding 8 feet). Leaf colors vary, including classic green, deep bronze or purple, and variegated patterns like ‘Phasion’ (Tropicanna). Flower colors span fiery reds, sunny yellows, soft pinks, and vibrant oranges. Examples include ‘Australia’ with red blooms and dark purple foliage, and ‘The President’ with classic red flowers.
Placement and Grouping
Strategic placement and grouping amplify canna lilies’ visual impact. Planting them in masses creates a lush, dense display, serving as a privacy screen or dramatic backdrop. Cannas excel as focal points due to their impressive size. In borders, taller varieties provide height and structure, while smaller types fill the mid-ground. Space rhizomes 1.5 to 2 feet apart for adequate growth.
Complementary Plantings
Pairing canna lilies with complementary plants enhances the garden aesthetic. Fine-textured plants like ornamental grasses, coleus, or impatiens contrast well with canna’s broad foliage. Salvias, with spiky flowers, offer a textural counterpoint and share similar sun requirements. Other companions include dahlias, zinnias, elephant ears, and sweet potato vine, contributing to a tropical theme. Choose plants thriving in similar full sun and moist soil.
Versatile Landscape Uses
Canna lilies are versatile in landscape design. They are excellent for mixed beds, adding height and bold color, defining garden spaces or softening architectural lines. For container gardening, dwarf varieties suit smaller pots, while larger containers accommodate taller cannas, allowing for portable beauty and flexible placement. Cannas also thrive in aquatic features, even partially submerged in ponds, where their reflection enhances their display.
Planting and Nurturing Canna Lilies
Site Selection and Soil Preparation
Site selection is crucial for successful canna cultivation. Cannas prefer full sun (at least 8 hours daily) for best growth and flowering. In hotter regions, some afternoon shade can be beneficial. They thrive in rich, well-draining soil that retains moisture. Before planting, loosen soil to about 1 foot deep and enrich with 2 to 4 inches of compost to improve fertility and drainage. A soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5 is suitable.
Planting Your Cannas
Canna lilies grow from rhizomes, which are underground stems. Plant rhizomes horizontally about 4 to 6 inches deep, with “eyes” or growth points facing upward. Space rhizomes 18 to 24 inches apart, with taller types needing up to 2 feet. After planting, cover rhizomes with 1 to 2 inches of soil and water thoroughly. Wait until soil temperature is consistently at least 60°F before planting outdoors, typically after the last frost.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Consistent care supports vigorous growth and abundant blooms. Cannas require regular watering, especially during dry spells and summer, to keep soil consistently moist. Mulch helps retain soil moisture.
These plants are heavy feeders, benefiting from a balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied at planting and then monthly or twice during the growing season. Deadheading spent blooms encourages more flowers. Regularly remove yellowing or damaged foliage to maintain vigor and appearance.
Preparing Canna Lilies for Winter
Proper winter preparation is necessary for canna lilies to return year after year, especially in colder climates. In USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10, cannas often remain in the ground with a 3-inch mulch layer for insulation. In Zones 6 and colder, dig up rhizomes before the first hard frost.
Wait until a light frost kills foliage, allowing the plant to store energy. After foliage dies, cut stems back to 2 to 3 inches above ground. Carefully dig up rhizome clumps, shaking off excess soil.
Air-dry rhizomes in a well-ventilated area for about a week to cure them, preventing rot. Store dried rhizomes in a cool, dark, frost-free location (around 40°F) in peat moss, vermiculite, or newspaper to maintain humidity. Avoid airtight containers, as air circulation prevents decay.