Canna Lily (Canna indica): Tropical Foliage and Flowers for Wet Soil

Canna lily (Canna indica), also called Indian shot, is a rhizomatous perennial with large, paddle-shaped leaves (green, bronze, or striped) and showy, iris-like flowers in red, orange, yellow, pink, and bicolors on tall spikes from summer to frost. It thrives in wet soil.

Growth

Clumps reach 3–6 feet tall (dwarf cultivars smaller). The rhizomes are edible (canna starch). Many ornamental hybrids exist. It is a classic plant for tropical borders and water gardens.

Culture

Full sun; rich, moist to wet soil. Heavy feeder. In zones 7–10, rhizomes overwinter in ground with mulch; in colder zones, lift and store. Divide every few years.

Taxonomy

• Family: Cannaceae
• Genus: Canna
• Species: indica
• Synonyms: Canna compacta, Canna edulis, Canna limbata, Canna lutea