One of the fast growing ornamental plants that most like to have in the gardens or in a rectangular pot is the Canna. It is one of the few that has good-sized and wide leaves, and that also produces flowers during the summer, a season when it is used to enjoy the outdoors more.
But, although you may know the cane of the Indies, there are others that we also recommend you take into account. And they are all magnificent, and also require the same care. Discover the different types of Canna that exist.
Origin and characteristics of Canna
Species of the genus Canna grow in America, and they are characterized by being herbaceous perennial plants; that is, they are herbs that live for several years. In addition, they are rhizomatous, and their rhizome grows underground. Erect and unbranched stems emerge from it, with alternate, simple leaves and easily visible central veins, up to 6 meters high, although there are small varieties, which rarely exceed one meter.
Its flowers are grouped in an inflorescence, and are hermaphroditic. The color varies depending on the species or variety, and can be red, yellow, reddish, bi or multicolored. And the fruit is an irregularly shaped capsule that contains rounded and black seeds.
Cold hardiness varies depending on the origin of the species, but all of them are very interesting to grow in places where the climate is warm or temperate soft.
Canna types
What are the different types of Canna? If you want to know them, now the time has come:
Canna compact Roscoe
La Canna compact Roscoe (not to be confused with C. compacta Bouché, which is synonymous with canna indica) is a plant that reaches 2 meters in height. It is native from southern Brazil to northern Argentina, and develops green leaves with reddish-orange flowers. It blooms during the summer and until the beginning of autumn, coinciding with the months of August to October in the northern hemisphere.
flaccid canna
Image - Wikimedia / Peter A. Mansfeld
La flaccid canna It is a native variety of the United States, although it is naturalized from Mexico to Brazil. Reaches a height of up to 1,5 meters, and develops green leaves. Its flowers bloom in mid-summer and into early fall, and are yellow in color.
canna glaucous
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- Image - Wikimedia / Mariano Ferroni
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- Image - Wikimedia / Forest & Kim Starr
La canna glaucous It is a species that grows from the United States to Paraguay. It is one of the smallest, since does not exceed one meter in height. Its leaves are glaucous green (hence its last name), and the flowers are large and of a yellow that attracts a lot of attention.
canna indica
Image - Wikimedia / Alejandro Bayer Tamayo
La canna indica it is the best known and most cultivated. It is popularly called achira, cane from the Indies, crab flower or sago, among other names, and it is native to South America, particularly Peru and Colombia. It can reach up to 3 meters in height, and the color of its leaves varies depending on the variety: the most common is that they are green, but there are also purple or lilac lines. The flowers are yellow, red or orange, and they bloom from spring to late summer.
canna iridiflora
Image - Wikimedia / Peter coxhead
La canna iridiflora is a native herb of Colombia, Peru and Costa Rica that reaches a height of 5 meters. The leaves are green, with a lighter edge, and it produces red to violet flowers that are grouped in hanging inflorescences during the summer. This feature makes it one of the most interesting to have in a garden.
jaegerian canna
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- Image - Wikimedia / Forest & Kim Starr
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- Image - Wikimedia / Swardeepak
Canna jaegeriana is a species that we will find in tropical America, including the Greater Antilles and the Amazon basin. Its height is up to 4 meters, and its green leaves have a dark brown to blackish margin. The flowers are a nice shade of orange.
canna liliflora
Image - uconn
La canna liliflora is a native species of Bolivia that reaches a height of between 2,5 and 3 meters. The leaves are very large, up to 120 centimeters long by 45 centimeters wide, making it one of the largest varieties that exist. The flowers can appear singly or in groups, and are usually white.
canna musifolia
Image - Wikimedia / Claines Canna
Its scientific name is Canna x musifolia, although it is known as giant canna, or giant horsetail. It is a hybrid that reaches a height of 6 meters, with green or purple leaves and large. It is very similar to the common cane of the Indies, but unlike this, it is not a plant that can be in a pot for a long time.
Canna Nutckheimii
Image - Wikimedia / Dick Culbert
La Canna Nutckheimii it is a variety native to the tropical regions of America. Its stems are between 3 and 3,5 meters high, and has green leaves up to 100 centimeters long. Its flowers are orange or reddish, and are grouped in inflorescences that sprout in summer.
Which of these types of Canna did you like the most?