The Exotic Tropicanna Canna
Many consider the Tropicanna Canna to be among the most exotic of all cannas. These showy garden plants are already known for their intense colors, with flowers and foliage that make them a dramatic accent plant. The Canna ‘Tropicanna’ is, even among cannas, bold and colorful. They feature dramatic, tropical looking leaves and fluorescent orange flowers.
Canna ‘Phaison’ and Canna ‘Durban Orange’ are two other names sometimes used for the ‘Tropicanna’. It is thought that this canna originated as a sport of Canna Wyoming, due to the similarity in its large, orange flowers. Some people refer to Tropicanna Canna as a “variegated Wyoming.” ‘Tropicanna’ is one of the few patented cannas, selected by Jan Potgeither and patented by Anthony Tesselaar.
It is no wonder that the Canna ‘Tropicanna’ has become so popular since its introduction to the U.S. in the 1990s. It is very versatile, whether being used in the ground, as a potted plant, grown indoors, or having its bulbs dug up in harsh winter climates. The Tropicanna Canna can be found seasonally in gardening centers as a potted plant, or can be ordered through mailorder or online catalogs.
The Canna ‘Tropicanna’ has a unique profile and a striking combination of leaf and flower colors. The leaves themselves put on a show as they grow. They start off by uncurling and revealing a bright greenish-gold central vein, blending to deep burgundy. In between, there is a combination of deep reds, pinks, golds, yellows, and greens, in variegated stripes.
Every Tropicanna Canna leaf is slightly different. The shades and intensities of color combine in unique ways, and shimmer in an iridescent glow when hit by sunlight. Against this backdrop of rich deep leaf colors, bright orange flowers unveil themselves. The flowers themselves are intense in color, nearly fluorescent, with deep, intense orange margins and centers. Tropicanna Canna flowers bloom from summer through fall.
Tropicanna Canna is a very easy plant to grow overall. It needs ample sunlight (around 6 hours a day), so it works best to plant them in full sun or light shade. They grow best with plenty of water, and to get the intense colors they are famous for, nighttime temperatures of around 60 F or higher are needed. They are hardy in cooler temperatures, but will not display their full color potential.
If you live in USDA climate zone 6 or cooler, it is recommended that you dig up the Tropicanna Canna bulbs for the winter, and store them in a cool location where they will not dry out. A paper bag in a garage that does not freeze is a common location. They can then be replanted the following spring. If you are in a warmer climate, you can leave the Canna ‘Tropicanna’ bulbs in the ground, protecting them with a layer of mulch if desired.
Tropicanna Cannas are usually more expensive than other varieties of canna, but the initial investment can be worth it. After a few years of growth and division, you will have a large, rewarding clump of exotic looking plants. A healthy cluster of these cannas can be divided with a sharp shovel, and moved to other locations around the garden, wherever a striking, tropical-looking accent is desired.
