Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Tropicanna Phasion Canna

Group/Class:  Tropicanna Series

Description:

This tropical looking variety with impressive burgundy,red, orange, and green striped leaves, is crowned with brilliant tangerine orange blooms in summer and fall; perfect for the back of borders or as an accent; perennial only where roots don't freeze

Ornamental Features

Phasion Canna features bold spikes of orange flag-like flowers at the ends of the stems from early summer to late fall. Its attractive enormous glossy pointy leaves remain dark green in color with prominent gold stripes and tinges of coppery-bronze throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Phasion Canna is an herbaceous annual with a rigidly upright and towering form. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced garden composition.

This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Phasion Canna is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Phasion Canna will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity extending to 6 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Phasion Canna is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.