Canna lilies ( Cannaspp . ) are perennial summertime - flower plants raise for their striking lily - corresponding flowers . Canna lily are fearless in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness geographical zone 7 to 10 .
While in warm climates they can be leave in the ground , inOhiothey are grown as annuals and the rootstock are winter indoors .
Canna Lily Identification
While they are often denote to as flowering bulbs , canna are not true bulb . alternatively , they produce from a fleshy underground root word known as a rootstalk . They are also not true lily .
Canna lily typically have heights between 4 and 6 feet , though there are small gnome cannas as well as even taller cultivars that can be up to 8 feet tall . They have oversize leave of absence that resemble paddle .
Canna flowers come in a miscellany of warm - toned colour . There are cultivar with yellow bloom , red bloom , orange peak and pinkish flowers .
When to Plant Canna Lilies
Canna lily do not tolerate cold soils . Therefore , it is imperative to wait until ground temperatures have warmed enough and frost is no longer a threat in ordering to plant rootstalk .
In Ohio , this may mean waiting until after late spring , even after Memorial Day , to move canna lilies outside into the garden .
Tip
In Ohio and elsewhere , canna lilies should be institute only after the last frost of the leap .
How to Plant Canna Lily Bulbs
Plant canna rhizomes at a depth of 4 to 6 inch . provide 2 to 3 foot of quad between each plant . These plants grow substantially when they get full sun , so believe light when selecting a location for planting canna .
Organically rich soil is a must for canna lily . Therefore , you may need to amend the soil consequently with compost to check that it has enough organic thing to support these plants .
Canna lily arise well in moist grease and benefit from a bed of mulch . Make indisputable to plant canna rhizomes in well - draining ground , however , as overly wet soil can cause the rootstalk to decompose .
Winter Care of Canna Lilies
Because they are not winter hardy in Ohio , which fall in USDA zone 5 and 6 , if you acquire canna lily in this state , you need to savvy up the rootstock and winter them indoors to be replanted again the following spring .
Dig the rhizomes in fall when the leaves have yellowed or go after the first frost , but before the ground has immobilise . It is important not to remove the rootstock too soon to allow them to grow enough food to sustain the plant .
In Ohio , where they are not winter hardy , dig up canna lily rhizome in the descent and stack away them in a cool , dry place until spring .
Storing Canna Lily Rhizomes
After hollow up the rootstock , gargle them with water to get rid of extra soil , then allow them to dry for a week before storing them in a ironic medium like peat moss or vermiculite . The rhizomes should be kept in a cool positioning where temperatures do not get any colder than 40 ° F .
Rhizomes that have grown declamatory can bedivided and grown as single plantsin the spring .
