Golden Canna

Description

Botanical Name:    Canna flaccida

Common Name:    Golden Canna, Yellow, Canna, Bandana-of-the-Everglades, Southern Marsh Canna

Description:    Did you know that Florida has a native canna?? Yes, we sure do!

Golden Canna is a robust aquatic wildflower with beautiful yellow orchid-like flowers that bloom spring to summer. The flowers have ruffled edges and are very pretty. It occurs naturally in freshwater marshes and swamps, and along pond and lake margins throughout much of Florida. It is a perennial, so it will die back in the winter in our area.

‘Bandanna-of-the-Everglades flowers are composed of three bright yellow petals and three greenish-yellow sepals that are fused at the base, forming a tube-like structure. Petal lips are broad and drooping. Each flower is subtended by a single bract. Flowers are born in terminal clusters. They are short-lived, opening in late evening and closing by midday. Leaves are long, smooth and broadly lanceolate with entire margins and pointed tips. They are alternately arranged and spiral around the smooth, fleshy stem. Fruits are long (2–3 inches) capsules with rough surfaces. They contain many small, black pellet-like seeds.’ ~Florida Wildflower Foundation~

Golden Canna has a robust tuberous rhizome. That means even though it likes a moist or wet soil, it can survive drought conditions for short periods of time. It will spread, so be sure to either be prepared to contain its spread, or, better yet, plant it where it can grow and create a lush, tropical look for your garden. It quickly grows 3-5 feet tall. It can be grown in large containers.

Grows in moist to inundated sandy, loamy, mucky, or clay soils, with sun, part sun, or part shade exposure. Plant it in your rain garden, pond sides, low spots, etc.

It is a larval host for the Brazilian skipper butterfly. Dragonfly larvae have been known to hide in the leaves until they change into adults. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the flower’s nectar. It is self-fertile, so seeds can be produced by self-pollination. Pollination is facilitated by bats, hummingbirds, and other small wildlife species. Frogs are like to hide in the coiled new leaves. Deer resistant.

This plant has edible parts. The flowers can be added to salads, young seeds to tortillas, and the leaves can be used as a wrapper for steamed foods such as tamales. While researching this, I saw a couple of articles that said the Gullah/Geechee people used the leaves medicinally to cool down feverish babies by wrapping them in their leaves. As usual, please do your own research before eating any plant.

Golden Canna has many cultural uses:  stems for fiber, seeds for dye, beads, in musical instruments, and for play. Leaves can be burned to repel insects, fed to ducks and chickens, or used as a weed-smothering mulch.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.

This plant in 1-gallon containers is 8 – 15 inches tall.

Plant Lore:  Experiments done by scientists in Florida indicate that Golden Canna is effective in removing excess nutrients from runoff water. It is recommended planting them along waterways to absorb excess nutrients from fertilizer runoff thereby cleaning the water.

Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 11