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Yellow, Red, and Orange Cannas for Your Garden

Making It Grow Minute

  Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Canna flaccida or golden canna is native to the gulf states from Texas to Florida and also to Georgia and South Carolina. It has a great common name, -- Bandana of the Everglades! In nature, it grows in wet soils but can be happy in a well-irrigated garden with organically rich soil. Depending on how much water and light it gets, it grows from three to six feet, with green leaves and yellow flowers. Another canna that has naturalized in this same geographic area plus NC and Virginia is the Indian shot canna, Canna indica, This species is actually native to wet areas in tropical and subtropical Central and South America. Canna indica sometimes has bronze areas in its leaves and the flowers come in reds and orange accents. Most cannas will overwinter just fine in zone 8, especially if well mulched over the winter.

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Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.