What is the danger of Canna virus?

[ourarka]

I just wondered what the long term effects of the Cann virus were? I have several Cannas, of varying species, which show some signs of the virus ..... although outwardly appear healthy, have been very successful this year and are coming in to flower now.

These are in their second year in my garden ..... having overwintered in the ground successfully. I just wondered what I would expect over the coming years? If the virus is now endemic, which it seems increasinly like it is, what is the actual danger of leaving the virused plants in the ground vs. the removal and destruction and the increasingly impossible search for a non-virused replacement?

[Kerinsian]

I don't know how your plants might suffer in years to come, but by leaving them there you could be responsible for helping to spread the virus to other peoples healthy plants. Personally I'd pull them up and burn, I wouldn't want to be responsible for spreading it and possibly ruining other peoples plants *shrug*

[Yorkshire Kris]

Virused plants look worse and worse throughout the year and less likely to come back in following years. They look rubbish so you wouldn't want them in your garden as they look unattractive and stunted.

[kata]

Mine has the bud just emerging,

What do we do with them after flowering?

[ourarka]

Have to say mine still look pretty good this year ... though do have markings consistent with the virus. Not sure what to do. Maybe I'll try some from seed .... so which Cannas are able to be grown from seed? For instance, I love my Australis but don't think this can be. Are there any other 'dark' cannas that can be. Failing that, are there any merchants that you can guarantee virus-free?

[kata]

I can say I never had a virus from Homebaseon my first Canna Purchase,

It was a double, bought as a double late spring 2011. I put it in the shed in the Autumn, when I went to look in spring something had a tasty meal over winter so I had to buy new ones.

I can say I hav'nt had a virus from Desert to Jungle.

http://www.deserttojungle.com/products/ ... nfire/244/

£15 with p&p.

I can say I never had a virus off Ebay.

This was a lot cheaper at a fiver from Ebay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI. ... 0232171526

£8.99 with p&p

Both the two are doing great, one in the back garden border amongst old compost and weeds is in bud, the other is on the front drive.

[Kristen]

Maybe I'll try some from seed .... so which Cannas are able to be grown from seed? ... Are there any other 'dark' cannas that can be

I've grown Canna Tropicana Series Red from Jungle, grew well (4' or more) and flowered in first season. Canna Tropicana Series Red Bronze should give you dark leaves.

This year I've grown some sort of Thai Canna (seed from a friend) which has a fun flower, and Canna limbata, paniculata, tuerckheimii and musifolia. Don't think any have flowered as yet, but the foliage looks good.

I've also grown Canna warscewiczii, and you are welcome to some seed, but for me its a relatively low plant with rather unspectacular flowers. I used it to quickly bulk up some cannas in the early years, to be replaced by more choice varieties once I had propagated/bulked them up.

[ourarka]

Thanks, that's very kind. I might take you up on that offer as it seems that those are a great low canna for 'bulking out' the tropical bed.

On the subject of mine ... I am just not sure now. The Australia show no sign of virus and what were sold to me as Canna bonfire look just like Canna proteas in my opinion. They have the yellow streaks that I thought was virus .... but there has been no degredation in the plant over the summer, dying of leaves, stunted growth, early flowering etc.

[CW01]

Post some pictures that will help to establish if your Canna's have the dreaded virus or not

[Kristen]

There was a link to a canna virus information site posted some time back (probably findable using "search"). It seemed the best way to see if a Canna plant was virused was to look through the leaf, towards the light, to see if the veins were "broken"

I think looking at a photo of a multi-colour-veined leaf would be hard to tell if it was virused (assuming it didn't already look dreadful!)

[kata]

This looks ok for advice and Imagary,

http://cannanews.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01 ... canna.html

[ourarka]

Here we go. The first two are the main plant, which overwintered outside in this spot. The second is of a smaller plant that had its rhizome cut off the main one .... it was not a great 'chunk' if rhizome and I was surprised to get anything come up from this to be honest.

[CW01]

Your plants look clean to me