Not many summery bulbs provide as much immediate gratification as Canna. They grow very fast as soon as the weather begins to warm at the end of winter. They could become a bit too invasively vigorous for some situations. Canna are almost too easy to propagate by division. They probably perform better with annual thinning, preferably while dormant.

Dormant canna rhizomes are now available from nurseries. Potted specimens should be available a bit later. Canna, though, might be as available from friends or neighbors who grow too many. They crave frequent irrigation, and can inhabit riparian situations such as ponds. Although they are not too discriminating about soil, the prefer organically rich soil.

Canna foliage is about as lush and striking as its bloom. It can be green, various shades of bronze or variegated with white, yellow or bronze. Flowers can be thin and ribbony, or big and billowy. Floral color is various hues of yellow, orange, red, pink, or rarely creamy white. Flowers are commonly spotty or blotchy. Some canna grow higher than eight feet. Dwarf cultivars bloom splendidly without growing taller than two feet.