Canna Lilies; Where'd the Tropicanas Go?

The beautiful canna lily is a garden favorite all over Central Texas, yet I haven't spotted the Tropicana variety anywhere around Madisonville.

The unfurling leaves are a big part of the appeal of this gentle giant, with the colorful flowers playing second fiddle.

When the light hits them just right you have pink, orange & red fireworks all generated from the narrow stripes of a 3 to 4 ft tall easy keeper. They are generous rebloomers all season. They adapt to plenty of water if placed near ditches and pond edges, plus the big canna lily bulbs can also withstand dry spells.

All cannas make fabulous photo backgrounds. Plus their most wondrous characteristic is they're a most generous multiplier while not being invasive. Yes, each year their big bulbs will double in size (at least) and eventually you'll be able to share them with family and neighbors.

Count yourselves fortunate. Up north I had to keep them in huge tree-size nursery pots and haul them into the shelter every fall after watching the tops die off, then keep them moist enough without being too wet, until they started showing new growth. Then, carefully place them out again in the spring hoping a late frost would not wipe out new growth.

The garden would lose a few old friends each year to mildew or freeze and cannas are heavy to dig out and remove. However, the amazing photos from this generous garden staple always make them worth growing.