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GreenDealer Exotic Seeds selection of Tropical Rainforest Plants.
Photographs were taken in Louisville, Kentucky in August, 2003.
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As shown above, Bronze-Burgundy Canna is a beautiful landscape plant in warm regions. It forms rapid clumps of rubust canes, perfect as a garden backdrop. Thse canes rise up with strikingly beautiful inflorescences of large heads in brilliant orange-red. These flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds. Plants must be grown in full sun for them to attain full size and flowers. Those grown in shade or filtered light will grow about half size and will not flower but will still offer beautiful foliage. Feed heavily with a plant food formulated especially for bulb plants such as that used for tulips. Water abundantly.
Winter hardy only in zones 9 -11. Root hardy, if mulched heavily for the winter, to zone 7. Where winters are cold, Leaves and stalks must be cut off and tubers must be dug up, shaking off as much soil as possible and stored in a dark, cool location such as a root cellar or garage in a plastic garbage bag up off of concrete floor. Cover with tarp or old blanket to keep roots from freezing.Where winters are not as severe, in zones 7 through 9, roots should be planted about 10 to 12 inches deep and mulched heavily for the winter. To assure plants for the coming year, always store a few tubers indoors in case of one of those occasional severe winters.
Propagation is easy from seed. Nick or file seeds then soak in warm water for a few days. Start indoors early spring for flowers the first year. They don't mind being transplanted. After first year, propagation is easier by dividing the tuberous roots and storing year after year as per instructions above.
