Rose Canna

Rose Canna (Canna x generalis 'Rose') is the classic canna in a softer palette: large, deep warm pink flowers above broad green leaves. It reaches 70cm to 1.2m tall and 35cm to 50cm wide, a manageable size for a bed, a border or a big pot. It is raised from seed rather than from a heavy rhizome, which is how it comes as a young tubestock plant.

Why you'll love it

• A classic combination. Deep pink blooms over broad green leaves suit cottage, tropical and modern gardens alike, so it rarely looks out of place.
• Months of flowers. Flowering runs from mid spring until the frosts.
• Height without width. Up to 1.2m tall but only 35cm to 50cm wide, it can stand behind lower perennials without crowding them.
• Comfortable in a pot. It fills a patio container neatly and moves easily to wherever colour is needed.
• Heat and drought hardy. It handles hot, dry weather once established, and its roots are rated hardy to -12C.

Where it works best

Cottage and mixed borders. Plant in groups of three about 45cm apart behind lower plants. Deep pink works with white, silver and blue flowers.

Pots and patios. Use a pot of 30cm or wider and a quality potting mix, in the sunniest position available.

Along fences and walls. The upright habit and narrow spread let it fill a strip of garden beside a fence, where a wide shrub would not fit.

Growing Rose Canna in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun is best, with part shade a fair second. It suits tropical, subtropical and temperate gardens. The leaves die back in winter and the roots are rated frost hardy to -12C.

Soil. Plant in nutritious soil, with compost dug through garden beds and a quality potting mix in containers.

Water and feed. In dry spells give it a weekly watering at the base or into the pot, not over the leaves. Feed fortnightly while it is growing, or use a slow release fertiliser each season.

Pruning. Cut off flower stems once the blooms finish, and cut the foliage to the ground when it browns in winter. A generous mulch over the crown keeps the roots warm in cold areas.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Rose Canna as tube stock: a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Seed-grown cannas begin as small leafy plants, not the large clumps you get from a rhizome, so allow a warm season for it to build up and flower well.

Our tube stock is supplied by our grower, so it comes and goes. If the tube shows as sold out, the grower has none at the moment: press the notify button on this page and we will email you the day it returns.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plants for small gardens
• Tropical style garden plants
• Sun loving plants
• Perennial plants for a cottage garden

Common questions

Is Rose Canna a good first canna?

Yes. It asks only for sun, regular feeding and a weekly water in dry spells, and it copes with heat and with cold winters.

How do I get the most flowers?

Give it full sun, feed fortnightly through the growing season and water weekly in dry spells. Removing spent flower stems keeps the clump tidy.

Will it grow in part shade?

Yes, though flowering is more prolific in sun. In part shade expect fewer blooms.