For the Native Americans of the American continent, the Canna Lily wasn’t just a pretty face in the garden—it was actually a staple food crop! They used to harvest the bulbs (or rhizomes) as a food source. Eventually, the Canna took a backseat to the potato, which grew much faster and produced a bigger harvest. But for us home gardeners today, those Canna rhizomes are still the stars of the show—just for different reasons.
A Tropical Beauty
In the wild, Canna Lilies are native to Central and South America, which means they are total suckers for a tropical climate. Because of those roots, Cannas are definitely not winter hardy and won’t survive a freezing winter outdoors. Once you see those leaves starting to turn brown, it’s your signal to act. You’ll need to dig up the rhizomes before the first frost hits and tuck them away indoors in some sand or dry soil.
When to Get Digging
Deciding when to plant your Cannas depends on whether you’re growing them in the garden or in containers. If you’re planting directly in the ground, it also matters if you’re starting with a bare rhizome or if you’ve decided to pre-grow them indoors. If you start them inside, you can begin setting the pots outside during the day once spring arrives. However, for permanent planting in the garden, you should wait until the danger of frost has completely passed—usually mid to late May.
The Perfect Storage Spot
To make sure your rhizomes are ready to burst back into bloom next spring, proper storage is key. The spot where you keep your containers of sand or soil should meet a few specific criteria:
- It needs to be dark.
- Temperatures should stay cool (ideally not above 50°F / 10°C).
- It must be completely frost-free.
One last pro-tip: make sure you don’t water or fertilize the rhizomes during the winter. They need their beauty sleep so they can come back stronger than ever!
