Cannas are quick growing, vigorous ornamental plants with heavy foliage and large flowers. Flower colors range from dark red to light green. Leaf colors can be reddish-purple, bronze or green. They are used most effectively for bedding plants in public parks and larger home grounds where they can be planted in front of taller shrubbery and viewed from a distance. Their vigor and size make them less desirable for planting in restricted areas.
Cannas require a warm, sunny location and under such conditions are capable of giving a subtropical effect if used in quantity with ricinus or castor bean, caladium or elephant's ear, or other appropriate plants. They thrive best under conditions suitable for corn, that is, a warm, well drained soil, well enriched with decayed manure.
The tubers should be planted after all danger of frost is past. A portion of an old tuber containing several strong buds is best. The old tubers may be divided to single eyes, but the weak eyes are likely to make weak plants. If very strong clumps are wanted, a whole tuber may be used. When separated to single eyes they are best started in 4-inch pots covered with glass. The tubers should be planted 5 inches deep. Cannas should be planted 12-18 inches apart depending on the size of the varieties used and the effect desired. In dry weather a thorough soaking of the plants once a week will insure a stronger growth.
The blooms should be picked as soon as withered. After the tops have been killed by frost they should dry a few days, then be cut off. The tubers need to be dug and dried in the sun a few hours and stored in a cool (40-50° F) moderately dry (30% humidity) cellar or storage area. The tubers can be stored in dry sphagnum moss, vermiculite, or sand. They may also be placed on wire racks so air can circulate freely. No frost must reach the tubers and they must not be too warm or dry. A cellar suitable for Irish potatoes is about right for cannas.
Protect the tubers in storage by dusting them with a fungicide-insecticide mixture. Use one part diazinon or sevin to one part of a fungicide dust such as captan, maneb, or zineb. This will control insects and protect small cuts from rot.
Canna tubers can be purchased from merchants selling plants and seeds. They can be bought under variety names so that one can choose kinds of variety sizes, and flower colors. Cannas can be purchased in the spring either as dormant tubers or as growing plants in 2 or 4 inch pots.
| Variety | Height | Flower color | Remarks |
| Dwarfs | |||
| Doc | 18" | Deep red | |
| Happy | 18" | Primrose yellow | |
| Grumpy | 18" | Red | |
| Pfitzers Dwarfs | |||
| Stadt Fellbach | 36" | Peach; orange | Vigorous grower |
| Chinese coral | 30" | Pink | |
| Primrose yellow | 30" | Yellow | Plants are bushy |
| Confetti | 30" | Yellow w/red dots | |
| Scarlet Beauty | 32" | Scarlet | Starts blooming early |
| Grand Opera | |||
| La Traviata | 36" | Rose | |
| La Boheme | 36" | Peach | |
| Rigoletta | 36" | Yellow | |
| Giant | |||
| Miss Oklahoma | 36" | Pink | |
| City of Portland | 42" | Rosy pink | Compact |
| Red King Humbert | 54" | Orange-red | Bronze-red foliage |
| Richard Wallace | 48" | Yellow | Vigorous grower |
| Rosamond Cole | 36" | Scarlet w/sharp narrow yellow edge | Yellow buds | The President | 36" | Scarlet |