Hardy Tropicals UK

Arguably one of the best looking Canna, the Ae Ae of the Canna world.

I jknow very little about this plant although I have heard about them over a few years. I don't recall ever seeing them for sale, but I got hold of this one at the Amulree meet back in June. I knew they scorched in sun as do many variegated plants so planted mine in the shady North facing bed in the front garden. However, even this bed got sun until about 9am in high summer and the white parts did suffer some scorch. Now that the sun is on the way back down the bed is completely shaded, the true splender of the latest leaves can be seen. Next year I plan to grow some in a tub that can be put under the porch from April to August to see if I can get an unscorched plant. Growing these inside does not appear to work well I have been told as they are a magnet for Red Spider Mite.

Has anyone got the happy meduim where these do not get sun scorch, but also escape Red Spider Mite.

The stems on my plants seem to be variable with some wide, white splashed leaves, but others very thin and almost entirely white... is this normal It has started to flower this week, and the colour was quite a pleasant surprise. Not the gaudy orange I had expected but a more delicate peachy shade. Are these variable in colour or is the peach the standard hue

Also how hardy are these I tend to leave canna to get on with it, but have lost cultivars in the past.

A couple of Pics

That really is a stunning plant Dave. I think I know what I want next

i bought one at the same time as you dave and i've got to say it looks a bit of a mess. no sign of flowers yet as i've only just potted it on to a larger pot . i did have it in semi shade but i've now moved it to complete shade and the new leaves do look much better. i'll keep it in the garage overwinter and plant it out next spring. i noticed some 7 foot beauties at will giles garden in very deep shade!

cheers

lee

I split mine in 2 when I planted it and both halves now have quite a few stems.... at least 6 or 8 per plant. I'll probably dig up and pot it to put under shelter overwinter. This strong NE breeze is in danger of toppling the taller stems, as mine are over 6 feet now.

Dave, I too have found that the leaves can become very narrow and almost all white. Each new leaf seams to get narrower and a larger proportion of white. I divided last years plant into about five pieces this spring and the result was quite a variation. One division has produced a plant that just keeps throwing out pure white leaves that whither. At the other end of the scale, one division has proved much more superior than the others. The first three leaves had almost no variegation, so it grew much more quickely and the later leaves had a very good balance of variegation.

In terms of leaf burn, I find that the white bits crisp up whatever aspect it has and often the leaves emerge with the white parts shrunken giving the leaf a contorted appearance. Someone from the other side of the pond posted some time ago that regular watering with Epsom Salts was the answer to this and by doing this, they were able to grow them in full sun with pristine leaves . I started doing this but with so many other things to do, they have only had two or three doses this summer.

Interesting Simon..... Espom salts are for magnesium, and magnesium enhances chloropyll production, and doing that will reduce variegation I guess.

I certainly have the distortion of leaves where the white sections are just not as robust as the green bits.