Zierpflanzen-Stauden-Canna
title: All About Canna Lily Blooms
Originally hailing from the tropical regions of South and Central America, the Canna lily (or Indian Shot) made its way into gardens across the globe primarily for one reason: those showstopping flowers. Even if you don’t live in the tropics, these beauties are a favorite for home gardeners because they bring a lush, exotic flair to the yard starting as early as June.
What Do Canna Flowers Look Like?
Canna blooms come in a stunning palette ranging from sunny yellows to deep, fiery reds. Many of the most popular varieties are actually bicolor, featuring gorgeous speckles or gradients of two different shades. You can even find elegant, pure white varieties if you’re looking for something more understated. From a botanical standpoint, Cannas are unique because they have three petals and three sepals, along with one to five staminodes (which look like petals) and a distinctively twisted floral tube.
How to Keep the Blooms Coming
The typical blooming season for Cannas kicks off in June and lasts right through the heat of midsummer. But here’s a pro tip: with a little bit of garden maintenance, you can actually keep them blooming until the first frost hits! All you need to do is stay on top of “deadheading”—that is, pinching off the faded flowers regularly. This prevents the plant from wasting its energy on producing seeds and encourages it to put all that power into growing fresh new buds instead.
Getting an Early Start
If you’re impatient for those first pops of color, you can actually jumpstart the blooming process. The trick is to start your plants indoors during the late winter. If you give them a head start inside, they’ll often be sporting their first flowers by the time you move them outdoors in May. Just be careful with transplanting them into your garden beds; it’s usually best to wait until June to ensure the soil is nice and warm. If you are planting rhizomes directly into the ground, wait until May once the threat of frost has passed, though keep in mind these won’t usually start flowering until June.
Here’s a quick recap on Canna blooms:
- Flowering usually starts in June.
- You can extend the season into fall by removing spent blooms.
- Starting plants indoors during winter leads to earlier flowers.
meta: Learn all about the vibrant colors of Canna lily blooms and discover how to extend their flowering season well into the fall with our expert gardening tips.
MB