Canna lilies

Canna species

Cannas are easy and rewarding to grow. Closely related to bananas, they are an easy way to to get a tropical look into your yard.

I would like to highlight the water-friendly hybrids. They can be the perfect plant for the 100 degree weather and drought conditions because you can stick them in a pond or bucket of water, instead of trying to water them night and day manually. The Canna pictured are growing in the lip of my pond (about 14 inches deep of water, don't go much deeper than that.) This is one plant that likes that water-logged clay soil that so many of us in the Twin Cities have in abundance. They flower almost constantly if enough water is available.

For the winter, just cut off the water supply and store (very similar to culinary ginger.) If you have a root cellar or cool basement, that's perfect. Being a tropical plant, though, canna do not need cold air to go dormant. Just imitate a dry season, and don't allow them to dry out so much that they shrivel (the tropics has high humidity in the dry season, by our winter homes are usually pretty dry.) You can always revive them with a little water.

Canna don't have to go dormant in the winter if you don't want them too: I keep mine in a trash can full of water in the greenhouse during winter. Blooms all winter, blooms all summer; never needs a break.