Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension. I have several beautiful varieties of canna lilies (remember they aren’t really lilies) in my garden. Bengal tiger for Clemson graduates is a must have – it has green and yellow striped variegated leaves and a brilliant orange flower. Others have leaves with large swathes of deep purple on the green – all of them have showy flowers that provide nectar for butterflies and pollinators. Half way through the summer, many of my cannas look kind of sad. They get holes in them from the canna leaf-roller caterpillar and just regular wear and tear. So I just cut them back! Cannas are so vigorous that they quickly sprout and send up attractive new foliage without wearing out their reserves. As a matter of fact, since cannas can be overly prolific, cutting them back periodically may help keep those aggressive rhizomes growing where you want them rather than spreading and crowding out their neighbors.
Canna Lilies: Vigorous Plants That Need to be Cut Back Periodically
