Care for a canna lily, coming right up!

YAY! My cannas have just peeked from the soil and I am so excited! It seems a bit early, but I’m not complaining. Spring is here and in a month or so I’ll have that gorgeous color all over the yard.

Gardeners in areas with scorching hot summers often complain about keeping their summer flowers alive. When temperatures climb over 95 degrees, I agree – it can be a challenge. Some plants love the heat, though, and one of the prettiest of those is the canna lily.

Not actually a member of the lily family, the canna is closely related to the banana and ginger. In fact, canna’s foliage is very banana-like in shape but much more colorful.

Cannas grow from rhizomes, not bulbs as many people think. If you would like to know the difference. check out our blog post: Bulbs, corm, rhizomes, tubers and tuberous roots. What’s the difference?

Cannas, depending on variety, grow from 1 to 10 feet in height. If you’re looking for something to screen away neighbors, choose one of the taller varieties and plant several in a clump. ‘Black Knight‘ is gorgeous, with bright red flowers and almost black foliage. Take a look at that RED!

Then, there are the flowers – tropical and vibrantly colored. Best of all, cannas, aside from their water requirements, are easy plants to have around. Let’s learn how to care for a canna lily.

What month do you plant canna lilies?

When to plant canna lilies depends on where you live. Typical advice is to wait until after the last frost in your area.

I like to get a head start on mine, so I plant some of them indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost in my region. I do use a heat mat and lights set next to a sunny window.

Where do canna lilies grow best?

Again, this depends on where you live. If you live in the desert southwest, you’ll want to give the canna lily full sun in the morning and protection from the sun in the afternoon.

Gardeners in cooler regions should find a sunny spot to plant the cannas. The more sun, the better the flowers.

How to plant canna lilies

Plant canna lilie rhizomes 2 to 3” deep in well-draining soil. We love to pack ours as close together as possible for that really tropical vibe.

“How many canna lilies can I plant together?”

It’s a question we hear a lot when discussing cannas. We love to pack ours as close together as possible for that really tropical vibe. Most breeders say to space the rhizomes 1 to 2 feet apart.

How much to water a canna

Water is the most important aspect of caring for the canna. Especially during periods of hot weather, the soil should remain moist at all times. Moist — like a well-wrung sponge. Soggy soil may lead to diseases.

If the canna needs water, it’ll wilt, so keep an eye on it in the beginning to get a feel for how often you need to water.

On extra hot summer days, we often water once a day.

When to fertilize the canna

The ideal time to fertilize your canna is right before it produces its first flower of the season. Sprinkle 2 lbs. of 5-10-5 fertilizer for every 100 square feet of canna bed.

Don’t place the fertilizer right at the base of the plants, but about 6 inches away. Water the soil until it’s saturated, to soak the product to the plant’s roots. Fertilize monthly while the canna is flowering.

Deadheading cannas is important 

Deadheading the canna not only promotes new blooms but makes it look more attractive as well. Unlike other flowering plants, though, cannas require careful deadheading.

Use a pair of clean and sharp bypass pruners (we swear by the Felco F-2 pruners).

If you cut the stalk too far back you may destroy future blooms. Use very sharp snips and clip the flower off just beneath the head.

Can you leave cannas in the ground over winter?

Not all of us will need to dig up our cannas in the winter — but those who live in areas with harsh winters will want to get them out of the ground and store them. After the blooming season, the canna’s foliage turns yellow. This is your cue to cut the foliage to within 1 inch of the soil.

Then, carefully dig the rhizome from the soil and place it in a cool, dry area for about three hours. After this, wrap the rhizome in peat moss, place it in a box (poke a few holes in the box to allow air to circulate) and leave it in an area where the temperature remains between 40 and 60 degrees F over the winter. Sprinkle a few drops of water over the peat moss once a month until spring when you can plant the rhizome out in the garden.

Want more cannas? Divide the rhizomes

Divide canna rhizomes when you pull them from storage in spring. It’s an easy job, just divide them so that each section has at least three “eyes.” Depending on the size of the rhizome, you can either break it apart by hand or use a hand saw or knife. I use my cheapy little EverSaw and it works like a charm.

Photo Courtesy: Muhammad Mahdi Karim/Wikimedia Commons