How to choose a Canna?

Choosing a Canna based on flower colour

Cannas offer stunning flowers in warm, vibrant colours, ranging from red to orange, yellow, salmon, and pink. Some flowers even showcase different hues.

Red Cannas

Red is one of the most common colours among Cannas and helps create beautiful floral atmospheres that catch the eye in a garden. This colour comes in various shades: brick red like the Canna ‘Brillant’, bright red to orange in the Canna ‘Red King Humbert’, and bright red to vivid pink in the Canna ‘Red Wine’.

Orange Cannas

The orange colour is also prevalent among Cannas, known for their flamboyant tones. You can choose from bright orange like that of the Canna ‘Wyoming’, red-orange of the Canna ‘Tarouking’, or apricot orange of the Canna ‘Semaphore’ to create a sunny and dynamic display.

Yellow Cannas

If you want to add a sunny touch to your garden, choosing yellow Cannas can be quite appropriate. Select for example the Canna ‘Louis Cottin’ with apricot yellow flowers and a red heart, or the Canna ‘Yellow Humbert’ with bright yellow flowers speckled with orange.

Salmon or Pink Cannas

For more nuanced tones, you can opt for the delicate cream shade tinged with salmon pink of the Canna ‘Mme Angéle Martin’, or for the brighter salmon colour of the Canna ‘Angélique’. For pink enthusiasts, check out the Canna ‘Perkeo’ with its cherry pink flowers finely edged in yellow or the Canna ‘Pink President’ with bright pink flowers.

Bicolour or Multicolour Cannas

Some Cannas have the unique feature of producing bicolour flowers or even flowers of different colours. This can add a certain originality to a display. The Canna ‘Picasso’ produces flowers that are entirely yellow speckled with red, while the Canna ‘Cleopatra’ produces flowers in variable colours depending on the plants, variegated with yellow, orange, red, and white or solid red.

Canna ‘Red King Humbert’, Canna ‘Wyoming’, Canna ‘Louis Cottin’, Canna ‘Picasso’, Canna ‘Yellow Humbert’, Canna ‘Pink President’, and Canna ‘Perkeo’

Choose a Canna based on the colour of the foliage

Another very decorative feature of Canna is the colour of its foliage. It can be green, which highlights the red or orange hues of the flowers. It can also be purple, adding even more depth, and it can be striate, giving it a good dose of originality.

Green Foliage

Among the Cannas with green foliage, some are bright green like Canna ‘Perkeo’, others are medium green like Canna ‘Lucifer’, and others are dark green like Canna ‘Brillant’. There are also light green leaves like those of Canna ‘Yellow Humbert’, as well as bluish green foliage like Canna ‘Pink President’.

Purple Foliage

Another interesting decorative trend is that the foliage of Cannas can be purple. This is the case, for example, with Canna ‘Mme Angèle Martin’, which transitions from purple to dark violet green, or Canna ‘Semaphore’ with violet purple foliage. The Canna ‘Angélique’ features a brown violet purple foliage that enhances the bright colour of its flowers. Another lovely combination is the Bordeaux purple foliage of Canna ‘Red Wine’, which contrasts with the bright pink red of its flowering.

Striate or Variegated Foliage

Another uniqueness of Canna is that its foliage can be striate or even variegated, offering an unusual mix of colours. Among the striate foliage, Canna ‘Striata’ has large unique green leaves marked with yellow and cream veins, often edged in red. Canna ‘Tarouking’ offers another combination with its lush striate and striped foliage in various tones of orange, red, pink, and green.

Among the variegated foliage, there is the mix of green, brown, and chocolate of Canna ‘Cleopatra’, and the enormous bronze green leaves edged in purple of the giant Canna ‘Musifolia’.

Canna ‘Tarouking’, Canna musifolia, Canna ‘Red Wine’, Canna ‘Striata’

Choosing a Canna Based on Height

There are Cannas of various heights that can be placed in the foreground or background of a flowerbed. The more compact varieties range from 60 cm to 1.20 metres at maturity, while the taller ones can reach heights of 1.80 metres or even 2.50 metres.

From 60 cm to 1.20 metres

Among the smaller varieties, consider the Canna ‘Lucifer’ or Dwarf Canna, which reaches a height of 60 cm, making it perfect for pot cultivation or as a border plant. Another Dwarf Canna, the Canna ‘Louis Cottin’, grows up to 70 cm, just like the Canna ‘Confetti’. For a Canna around 1 metre tall, look at the Canna ‘Queen Charlotte’ or the Canna ‘Picasso’.

From 1.20 metres to 1.80 metres, or more

For larger Cannas, exceeding 1.20 metres, explore the Canna indica or the Canna ‘En avant’, both of which grow up to 1.50 metres. For even more imposing plants, there is the Canna ‘Semaphore’, which reaches 1.80 metres, and the Canna ‘Musifolia’ or Giant Canna, which can attain 2.50 metres and is similar to a banana plant.

The very tall Canna musifolia, the small red Canna ‘Lucifer’, and the medium-sized bicolour Canna ‘Queen Charlotte’

Choose a Canna according to the flowering period

Cannas flower between July and November, with some extending their flowering period more than others. For instance, Canna ‘Musifolia’ blooms in July and August, while Canna ‘Pink President’ flowers from July to September, just like Canna ‘Angélique’. Others extend their flowering until October, such as Canna indica and Canna ‘Wyoming’, and even until November like Canna ‘Cleopatra’ and Canna ‘Durban’.

Choosing a Canna Based on Its Use

Boasting various sizes and hardiness, Cannas can be grown in the ground or in pots. For pot cultivation, it is advisable to choose the more compact varieties such as the Canna ‘Lucifer’ or Dwarf Canna, as well as the more frost-sensitive ones that will be easier to bring indoors during frosts. In the ground, all varieties of Canna can be planted if you live in a region with a mild climate or if you plan to store the rootstocks in winter.

Canna in pots or in garden beds

Choosing a Canna based on hardiness

While most Cannas are sensitive to frost and need to be stored away in winter, some varieties are hardy down to around -10 degrees, allowing for the creation of an exotic bed even in colder regions. Among these hardy varieties is the Canna ‘Striata’ , which withstands temperatures down to -10 degrees, as well as the Canna indica and Canna ‘Musifolia’, which can tolerate temperatures down to -15 degrees.