Embrace the Exotic: Growing Canna Lilies in Your UK Tropical Garden
For UK gardeners seeking to infuse their outdoor spaces with a touch of the tropics, Canna lilies (not actually Lillies at all, common names can be confusing!) offer an explosion of colour and architectural flair. While the UK climate differs significantly from the Canna’s native warm, humid environments, with careful planning and the right techniques, you can successfully cultivate these stunning plants and create your own patch of paradise.
Canna Lilies: A Tropical Treasure
Canna lilies are celebrated for their bold foliage and vibrant blooms. Their large, paddle-shaped leaves, often in striking shades of green, bronze, or even streaked variegated patterns, provide a lush backdrop for their flamboyant flowers. These flowers, in fiery hues of red, orange, yellow, and pink, emerge in summer, adding a touch of the exotic to any garden.
Choosing Your Cannas: A Rainbow of Options
Here are 4 captivating canna varieties, each with its unique charm:
- Canna Tropicana Black: This variety makes a dramatic statement with its deep purple, almost black leaves. The contrast with its bright red flowers is simply breathtaking. Imagine this Canna as the dark, sultry heart of your tropical border.
- Canna Cleopatra: Offering a more playful aesthetic, Canna Cleopatra boasts bi-coloured leaves, where purple streaks dance across a lush green canvas. Its flowers can range from red-orange to yellow, providing delightful surprises. This Canna adds an element of intrigue and artistic flair.
- Canna Tropicana Gold/Striata: For a touch of sunshine, look no further than Canna Tropicana Gold (also known as Striata). Its large, light green leaves are adorned with bold, golden-yellow stripes, creating a vibrant and cheerful display. This canna will brighten any corner of your garden.
- Canna Tropicana/Durban: This variety is a true showstopper, featuring rainbow-coloured leaves that blend a kaleidoscope of hues. Its orange flowers add to the overall flamboyance. Canna Durban is the ultimate statement plant for a truly tropical effect.
Adapting to the UK Climate: Key Considerations
While canna lilies thrive in warmth and humidity, here’s how to ensure their success in the UK:
- Start Indoors: Give your cannas a head start by planting the rhizomes (underground stems) in pots indoors in late winter or early spring. This allows them to develop strong roots before being exposed to the cooler outdoor temperatures. Use a well-draining potting mix.
- Choose the Right Location: Select a sunny, sheltered spot in your garden. Cannas need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to flourish. Protection from strong winds is also crucial, as their large leaves can be easily damaged.
- Soil Preparation: Cannas prefer rich, fertile soil that retains moisture but is also well-draining. Amend your soil with plenty of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, before planting.
- Watering: During the growing season (spring and summer), water your cannas regularly, especially during dry spells. Aim to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
- Feeding: Cannas are heavy feeders. Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks during the growing season to encourage healthy growth and abundant flowering.
- Embrace Humidity (Where Possible): While the UK isn’t known for its tropical humidity, you can create microclimates. Group cannas with other moisture-loving plants. Consider placing pots on trays filled with pebbles and water (ensure the pots aren’t sitting directly in the water). Misting the foliage occasionally can also help. You could even grow them in the shallow edges of a pond during the summer months, adding a unique tropical touch.
- Overwintering: This is the most critical step for canna success in the UK. Cannas are not frost-hardy. Before the first frost, carefully dig up the rhizomes. Remove excess soil and allow them to dry slightly. Store them in a cool, dry, and frost-free location (a shed or garage is ideal) in boxes filled dry compost or vermiculite. In the winter, cannas need to be kept much drier, otherwise the rhizome will rot in wet and cold conditions. In milder parts of the UK, provided with good drainage and a deep winter mulch, the Canna rhizomes can be left planted in the ground outdoors.
- Spring Awakening: In spring, once the risk of frost has passed, replant the rhizomes in pots or directly into the garden.
Creating a Tropical Oasis:
Canna lilies are incredibly versatile and can be incorporated into various garden styles. Their bold presence makes them ideal for creating focal points in borders or as standalone specimens in containers.
- Mixed Borders: Combine cannas with other tropical-looking plants, such as bananas (Musa), gingers (Hedychium), and ferns, to create a lush and vibrant border. Consider the colour echoes between plants to tie the whole planting scheme together.
- Container Gardening: Cannas thrive in containers, allowing you to move them around to create different focal points or to provide them with optimal growing conditions. Choose large, sturdy pots to accommodate their size.
- Waterside Planting: As mentioned earlier, cannas can be grown in the shallow edges of ponds during the summer, adding an exotic touch to water features.
A Touch of the Tropics, Within Reach
With their dramatic foliage and vibrant flowers, canna lilies offer UK gardeners a chance to create their own tropical escape. By understanding their needs and adapting your gardening practices, you can successfully cultivate these stunning plants and enjoy a burst of exotic beauty in your own backyard.
