Canna - or canna lily   Canna Lily is the common name attached to a large group of hybrid plants in the genus Canna, in the family Cannaceae.  Canna is a Latin word meaning a type of reed. Canna are great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds into the garden. Watch out for the leafroller caterpillar (will be a skipper butterfly) that will attack canna. This is a wonderful annual plant to grow in many different varieties.  Canna is an annual plant in zone 5 (Canada).  The tuber root needs to be dug each year and stored in a cool, dark place. If stored where freezing temperatures might occur the root will get mushy and be no good the following year.       As the plant grows each summer the root will multiply and when you dig them in the fall you will  have many, more pieces of root to plant the following year. Names of the above canna are: Richard Wallace (yellow), Robert Kemp (red) and Wyoming (orange). View a slideshow of my orange cannas. This is Petroria or Bengla Tiger Canna. The stirped leaves of greens, creams and yellows and the orange blooms make a striking addition to the garden. 2007 was the first year that I grew this type of canna.  I got worried as I was a bit late planting it, after a late discovery of the root in the store, and thought it wouldn't bloom.   But the prolonged hot weather we had right into October has produced a lovely bloom.  These canna can grow 4 to 6 feet high. Root & Seedpod Above is a piece of canna root which I got from a friend. From this first peice I now have numerous pieces and I have given many away to friends and family. Plant the root outside in a sunny location.  Canna do not mind damp soil. After the first frost in the fall dig the canna root and you will notice that they will have multiplied.  Shake off any extra dirt, cut off the old growing stem and any really long roots. Put into a box with allows air flow and store them in a dark, cool spot over the winter.  You can cover them with peat moss if you choose. In April you can pot them up inside and get a head start on growing them before planting them outside this spring.  Check each rhizome for "eyes" that will be the shoots of the plant.   If there are more than one eye, you can split the rhizome into pieces. After flowering the seedpods developed.  Below you can see the seedpods developing on the plant, part of the seed pod when it is dried out, and two seeds that are on the lid of a pill container to give you an idea of the size.        These seeds have been nicked and soaked in warm water for a few days.  Once the growing shoot appears they are now ready to pot up and begin growing. I started these seeds inside about the beginning of April.  By the end of May they will be ready to transplant into the garden.  Keep the pot moist and in a warm location.     Print a seed packet for canna seed Print a label for canna seed The Gardens ~ Seeds & Plants ~ craftygardener.ca Please sign or view the guestbook.