Canna Lilies
A relative of banana trees and birds of paradise, Canna Lilies are not exactly a lily per se. They are a tropical plant, native to the West Indies Some Canna Lilies can grow to be as tall as ten feet high although most are in the four to eight foot range. The most significant thing about Canna Lilies are their magnificent flowers. They have very wide leaves that are furled and through which huge flowers spring up. Canna Lilies come in almost every color but the most popular are red, yellow and orange. Leaves can be green, maroon, brown, bronze, and can have white, red, pink or cream colors mixed in.
In the United States, Canna Lilies are grown year round in the southern states. In very cold areas, the bulbs can be dug up in the fall and replanted in the spring. They can also be planted in pots and brought inside during cold weather, provided you have the space to accommodate their size. Canna Lilies are often planted along fences in large groups or in the corners of yards. The two-foot high Canna Lilies are popular as deck plants.
While in the last part of the nineteenth century, cultivars or hybrids were abundant and many new colors and sizes of Canna Lilies were created, the popularity of the plant somewhat tailed off for part of the twentieth century. Today there are hundreds of cultivars available but many of them have very similar characteristics. Most range from dwarfs of sixteen inches to many types over four feet. The Golden Canna is native to the southern part of the United States, growing to be four feet high with large, yellow flowers. It often grows on the edges of wetlands.
If you want to grow Canna Lilies, they like lots of organic compost and soil that is loamy. They thrive in moist conditions but not standing water, and the soil should not be alkaline. The best fertilizer for Canna Lilies is 5-10-5. They can be outside year round in hardiness zones 8-12 but any colder than that, they have to be dug up and brought inside each winter. They should not be replanted outside until all danger of frost is past.
Canna Lilies can attract such pests as leaf rollers, slugs, snails, thrips, and spider mites. They can also be the victim or various kinds of rot, blight and viruses. But in spite of these possibilities, most Canna Lilies thrive from one year to the next with very few problems. They are considered one of the hardier plants as long as kept away from frost.
The size and brilliant colors of Canna Lilies will make people take a second look at your yard or garden. So if you are put off by showy plants, Canna Lilies are not for you. Leave them for people who love gigantic, colorful plants that everyone will be talking about.