Canna indicaIndian Shot

Canna indica, called Indian Shot for its hard black seed, is the wild parent behind most garden cannas and remains a tougher plant than its hybrids. Broad paddle-shaped leaves in green or bronze-purple rise from a spreading rhizome, and narrow red to orange flowers are carried above them through the warm months.

It is used for mass bedding, roadside and median planting and the moist margins of water features, where a bold leaf and long flowering season are wanted for very little money.

Specifications

• Height1.5 to 2.5 metres
• Width0.6 to 1 metre, spreading from the rhizome
• Native toTropical Americas, from the Caribbean and Central America to northern South America
• FoliageLarge, broad, paddle-shaped leaves in green to bronze-purple; evergreen in frost-free climates and dying back where frosted
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilTolerates a wide range of soils; prefers rich, moist ground and grows at water margins
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate to high; performs best where moisture is reliable
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions

Additional Features

• FlowersNarrow red to orange flowers carried in succession through the warm months
• UsesIdeal for mass bedding, median and roadside planting, and the moist margins of water features
• SpacingPlant 0.4 to 0.6 metres apart for a closed mass
• Low MaintenanceCut spent canes to the base; divide the rhizome when the clump congests
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust; monitor for leaf-rolling caterpillars in humid conditions
• Seasonal AppealLong flowering season backed by bold foliage colour
• VersatilitySuits dry beds, damp ground and shallow water margins equally

Indian Shot is the hardest-working canna of the group, holding scale and colour in situations that defeat the more refined hybrids.