Canna or Can’t They?

A co-worker brought me a box of wide, upright, bright green leaves yesterday, or at least that’s what it looked like. Upon further inspection, I discovered that my friend, in her fervor to clean up her flower garden, had pulled up several cannas. Yes, I said pulled up. Into the box they went, dirt and all.

I’ve never tried to raise cannas, mainly because I have so much shade in the yard, but I’ve always thought of them as showy and proud and tropical. Well, they are semi-tropical and they will require lots of sun, but, and this came as a surprise to me, they are considered annuals in this part of the country, not the perennials I had always thought. Hmmm, time for some research.

In warmer zones, cannas are indeed perennials, but all the literature tells me that here in southside Virginia, cannas should be dug up every fall and stored in a warm place over the winter, like dahlias. My friend has never dug hers up since her neighbor gave them to her years ago. They have spread, as rhizomatous plants tend to do, and are thriving just fine.

It will be real interesting to see if mine survive, since they were so rudely yanked from the ground.  Understanding that the ground was too hard for digging, I nevertheless don’t hold out much hope for these yellow-blooming orphans she brought to me. Right now, they are still in their temporary home (the cardboard box), out in the rain. It’s time for me to decide how to nurture these guys.

I will have to skip the usual steps in raising cannas, such as planting in the spring after the threat of frost has passed. I have no rhizomes, just bare shocked plants with some dirt hanging on to the bottom. What I will do is plant them in some sort of containers and keep them relatively sheltered over the winter.  The pots will need to be large to accommodate root growth. Cannas like rich, organic soil and should be kept moist until well established.  Come spring, I will put them back outside, whether I leave them in the containers or figure out a place to plant them in the ground. Provided, of course, the plants can actually survive.

If you have first year cannas in your yard, wait till the frost kills the foliage and then carefully dig up the bulbs. Divide if necessary. Cut the dead foliage back to two or three inches. Gently wash the dirt off the bulbs – do not scrub.  Cure the bulbs by allowing them to rest in a dry place, like a garage or closet for a few days. Wrap them in newspaper or brown paper bags and return to the garage or closet. Check your bulbs frequently over the winter to cull out any that show signs of rot. If you lose a lot that way, you need to move the bulbs to a drier location.

Cannas can grow to a height of five or six feet, depending on the variety. The leaves can be solid green or a combination of green and red and purple. Blooms appear in shades of yellow, orange and red. I know mine are yellow so they will be bright and happy in the summer sun. Standing in the yard, I know which way is west, but there are lots of trees everywhere. Oh well, I’ll worry about that in the spring.