Toucan® Scarlet Canna Lily

Yes you too can – grow fabulous canna lilies, that is, when you choose the Toucan® Scarlet II Canna Lily. This compact variety grows 3 to 4 feet tall, with upright stems and attractive green leaves with a tropical look. The large flower-clusters are carried above the foliage, on short stems, and bloom abundantly throughout summer and right up to the fist frost. Fast-growing and easy, this plant is a great way to say ‘summer’ in your garden, and can be grown in the ground or in a pot, tub or planter box. It thrives in summer heat and humidity, and you will really enjoy the endless succession of blooms, brilliant Scarlet II like the beaks of tropical birds. From zone 8 you can leave the roots in the ground to resprout naturally the next year. Otherwise, lift the plants after the first frost, let them dry, remove the fat roots and store them in a paper bag indoors, starting them into growth in a pot in spring, before planting outside once the risk of frost has passed. Nothing could be easier and more fun than growing these tough, reliable and beautiful plants – you too can succeed in the garden.

• Brilliant bright red flowers bloom through summer and into the fall
• Large leaves give a fabulous tropical look in the ground or in pots
• Compact size, 3 to 4 feet tall, ideal for smaller spaces and pots
• Very tough and very easy to grow successfully
• Keep the roots indoors for winter if you are in a cooler zone

Plant your Toucan® Scarlet II Canna Lily in full sun, in any good garden soil. It will grow in sandy soils, and in any well-drained soil. It loves water, so give it plenty, regularly, but if in a pot don’t leave it standing in a saucer of water. Use slow-release fertilizer on outdoor plants, and feed potted ones regularly with liquid food. You can remove the flower heads back to the leaves once all the blooms are over, but later in the season you might want to leave them, as the seed pods are attractive too. Cut down the stems once the foliage is killed by frost. From zone 7 you can leave them in the ground for winter, but otherwise lift the roots, wash them clean of soil, and store them in dry peat-moss in a brown paper bag in a cool, humid place for the winter. Plant directly in the ground in May, or get a jump-start by growing them in a pot on a sunny windowsill in early spring, planting them out after frost is gone.