Plant Of The Week

Cannas, or canna lilies, look like banana trees without the trunk. That's no accident - they're kin to bananas and gingers, and
their wide, furled leaves come out of thick, multiple-eyed rhizomes, just like their larger, edible cousins. Flowers are the main reason cannas are so highly prized, though.

Canna Lilies are native to the southeastern U.S. and Central America and the Antilles The many hybrid selections are of garden origin, some dating back to the 18th century. Canna species and various hybrids have naturalized in wetlands throughout the subtropical and tropical world.

Canna lilies are remarkably easy to grow. These are great flowers for a wet area. They will even grow in moderately polluted wetlands. Cannas look best in masses. Leaf rolling caterpillars can be devastating to the foliage, but are easily controlled. Plant cannas with bananas, gingers and palms for an enormous tropical foliage statement!

Canna lilies are sold each year with all the spring flower bulbs. At American Meadows, the spring bulbs (sold Nov. through June) always include the most popular canna lilies such as the fiery red 'The President', plus the famous yellow, 'Richard Wallace', hot pink 'Scarlet Wave' and a luscious melon-colored hybrid called 'Tangelo'. These and others are standard size cannas, growing up to 3 ft. tall.

Becoming more popular all the time are the "dwarf cannas", which top out at only about 2 feet. The most famous are the 'Pfitzer Cannas', which give you what all gardeners love—large flowers on smaller plants. Best of all, the dwarfs feature flowers with bi-colored or dramatically spotted petals. One of the big favorites is Canna 'Red & Gold Lucifer', with a flame-like flower of fire engine red and brilliant yellow. It’s included in what American Meadows calls their 'Light My Fire' Dwarf Canna collection.

I'm happy to announce that on my Tarot Readings page, I am now offering Three, Five and a 20 Card Linear spread for you to choose from! I invite you to drop in and check them out...