Canna seeds

i have some Canna plants which I've had for a few years.

The yellow/red flowered Canna with green leaves, I've had from Madeira grown from seed and collect my seeds for friends/family when wanted.

The red flowered Canna with dark red/black leaves, which is approx 2yrs old. which family and friends want some seeds to grow.

The Madeira canna have large hard black seeds within their pods.
But cannot see the same with the black/red leaf canna in the pods. They have flowered and left some pods but unlike the others as no seed can be seen, unless they are different ?

I dont remove the tubers for winter as they are protected by the canopy of other plants.

 

Some varieties can be sterile. They'll still produce pods, but no seeds.
Some varieties are not sterile. They produce pods, but no seeds!
I love cannas, but with virus, hit and miss seed production and just a general teenage strop some years, they can be quite taxing.
Wouldn't be without them though

 

For friends/family, I might be persuaded to lift in spring and divide rhizomes.

 

I tend to think some are not self fertile, so they need cross pollinating with a different canna.
I used to hand pollenate some years but haven't done that for a long time.

Some of mine have pods but no seeds.
Not sure what pollenates them in the wild but I don't think it happens here with non self fertile plants.
Hybrids are more likely to be sterile.

 

This is the first year I've had cannas and I did collect some seeds from the yellow and orange ones so this topic is interesting.

We cannot leave tubers in the ground over winter, no matter what is around them. I've collected the seeds mostly from curiosity but it's a good idea if they do sprout to give as potted gifts.

 

Hopefully you mean in the sense of 'light abrasion' not ' underhand aquisition' !!

 

Those canna seeds sure do act galiumesque at times!

 

que?

 

The seeds stick to you...like cleavers(galium aperine), doesn't seem as funny when explained