This new canna (Canna indica 'Phasion') is not a shy girl. She's a flamboyant beauty that can add a striking tropical look to your garden. Tropicanna looks great with or without flowers. The leaf color is a combination of burgundy, yellow, pink, gold, and green stripes with a chartreuse center vein. Flowers are large and bright orange.
Tropicanna grows to 3 feet tall in containers (a 16-inch-diameter container is best), or 4- to 6-feet tall in the garden. Like other cannas, it's a perennial only in USDA Zone 7 (approximately 0? F.) and warmer areas, but it's a great annual or container specimen when planted after all danger of frost has passed in colder regions. You can also dig the rhizomes in fall before frost and store them during the winter. Or grow Tropicanna as a houseplant. Make sure it gets 4 hours of bright light and temperatures above 58? F. Of course, the leaf color may not be as intense as when the plant is grown outdoors.
Charlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He's the author of 6 books, has three radio shows in New England and a TV show. He leads Garden Tours around the world and consults with organizations and companies about gardening programs. See more about him at Gardening With Charlie.
