Canna indica

Common name: Caña de las Indias, Platanillo de Cuba, Caña india, Caña coro, Achira, Dragon

Description:

The Indian Cane ( Canna indica ) is one of the plants that can be found in various gardens, since it has green foliage with large leaves that often have bright colors such as purple depending on the variety, as well as for their beautiful and big flowers.

It is a rhizomatous plant with erect stems that is usually used in the garden to form beautiful isolated groups, where it is the center of attention or is also used in flower beds, to give verticality and is usually placed at the end since they can acquire a considerable height. and could cover other plants.

Its leaves are large and oblong, green, purple, reddish or variegated, which disappear in winter, re-emerging from the rhizome in spring.

As has already been said, they can acquire a considerable height, although the most cultivated are the short ones of about 0.8-1.5 m, but there are varieties that reach 3 meters in height and these are suitable for planting at the bottom of any massif.

The flowers are grouped in large inflorescences of 5 to 6 reddish, orange, yellow or pink flowers, which appear in summer until well into autumn.

Crop:

Indian cane is grown outdoors, in regions where the temperature does not drop below -3ºC. In case they get to freeze, you have to cut the entire plant, which will not take long when the weather is good to sprout again.

In colder areas, the rhizomes must be extracted from the soil after flowering and once the plant is withered, clean them and store them in a dry place buried in peat and dark between 5 and 10 ºC until the moment of returning to plant them.

Another option is to protect them in situ with a straw cover.

As for the substrate, it is not very demanding, although it prefers rich soils, with abundant organic matter and well drained. If the soil is very poor, it will be favored with the contribution of manure already made, or compost and fertilizer.

The rhizomes should be planted about 30-50 cm apart from each other and 10 cm deep.

These should be watered thoroughly once a week during flowering.

For optimum performance, a general fertilizer should be added every four to six weeks during the growing season. (10-20-10 is fine).

It is necessary to cut the flowers that are already past to stimulate late flowering, which occurs in autumn.

Multiplication:

Its multiplication is very simple, if you want to experiment with the seeds, it is necessary to soak the seeds for 24 to 48 hours and then plant them. The seeds germinate in the following 8 to 12 days at a temperature of 24ºC.

Although the easiest way to propagate Indian cane is to divide the rhizomes in the fall, making sure each division has an eye so that it can sprout. A part of an old rootstock containing several buds is best.

Applications:

Very decorative potted plant, in groups in the garden or as part of a flower bed.