Canna 2012

All the ones I've grown from seed are still struggling; with the Canna glaucas fairing the best, they're about 2ft tall and at least look healthy, the other varieties I've tried from seed have all but give up.

Ironically my best Canna is a rhizome of Altensteinii that I saved from last year and that didn't even spring in to life until about 5 or 6 weeks ago and thats now suckering and up to nearly 3ft tall, it is a perfectly healthy specimen though..
Looking back at photos of them last year though, there's a chance it may still reach an impressive size this year; in 2011 they were about 5-6ft tall by August 21st and then by 29th September they'd rocketed to 10-11ft!!!

 

Here's my 'Altensteinni' plant;


and one I picked up from the sale table at Wilkos a couple of weeks ago; Canna 'Tenerife', don't know much about this one but it only cost £2...

 

First flower on "Cleopatra" its very late this year.
"Wyoming" is budding up, as is the saved rhizomes of the ones grown from Victoria's seed last year.
I did have C. speciosa flower a few weeks ago but the flowers, although very bright red, were not very interesting.
Got some of Sal's seed budding also.

Anyway, "cleopatra"

 

The tuber you kindly sent me has got a solid-purple stem as well. I don't suppose that is another tuber that was in-with it, is that reverted? and if so should I chop it off? It looks rather nice in its own right!

 

The plant grows like that Kristen, The dark leaved part will grow red flowers, any totally green will grow yellow flowers, the bits that are variegated will grow red and yellow flowers.
I did my best to make sure everyone got at least some of the variegated sections.

If you chop off the dark leaved section I'm not sure, but I think other subsequent stems might still be of either type or somewhere in between.

I'm growing on a totally dark stem myself and waiting for suckers.

 

Thanks Pete. I think it looks magnificent as it is, so I'll leave it be - and look out for more suckers

 

bronze canna in bloom

 

Canna speciosa, good colour but very small flowers.

 

I bought this Canna yesterday for £5, not sure of the exact variety as the label just said 'Canna', but it's about 4ft tall, suckering well, has nice leaves with bronze/red tinges and fantastic bright orange/red flowers (the photo doesn't do it justice)

 

You can't physically walk past a "CANNA FOR SALE " sign can you Bilbo !

Nice short Vid on Canna seed collection . Mine did not seem to produce seeds last year.

 

Plenty of hybrids are sterile and won't produce seed. For Species it often needs a Summer that is hot, and long, enough. Getting them to flower early (by keeping them going, and hurrying-up, in the greenhouse/conservatory for longer in the Spring before planting out) will help - if you are particularly keen to get seed from a specific one that you have, for example.

 

On the subject of seed production I like to say that Canna is not exactly a bee plant, dont think I've seen bees buzzing around mine.
I know that flies might do the job, but I'm wondering what is the natural pollinator, could it be huming birds????

Anyway if you want seed its best to cross pollinate, with another plant, with a small brush.
The results should be interesting.

 

Hi Pete, I wonder if it varies from one variety to another; I noticed with 'Altensteinni' it does attract quite a lot of hoverflies and some bees and subsequently plenty of seed is produced; where as the flower on two others I am growing have attracted nothing that I have noticed this year??

 

I `ve just checked for bee and other insect , they are all save inside my sarracenias pitchers , they overflow with fly and few bees.

 

ps seen a complete black canna leaves , not a black knight or australis was absolutly all deep black , sold at £20 from one of the rich peoples garden shop .
stunning canna does anyone seen it or know anythink about?

its called tropicanna black , the picture is not great but it was looking stunning as some of the had tiny vain of bright red in really deep black leaves.