Tropicanna® Cannas / FAQs
We all know that plants are dynamic, living things, and because we understand so much about our own plants (we carry out trials around the world) we appreciate the subtle differences regarding their growth and habit.
Which is why it’s worthwhile visiting the section of our site which gives you local information – which plants are available; when it’s best to plant, prune and feed them; tips and so on. It’s all here to help you enjoy them more.
- What size pot is needed to grow Tropicanna?
- How tall will Tropicanna® grow?
- Does Tropicanna® need frequent watering?
- Will snails or slugs attack my Tropicanna® ?
- Does Tropicanna® need to be planted in full sun?
- Do I need to fertilize Tropicanna® ?
- Can Tropicanna® be grown as an indoor plant?
- Where can I grow Tropicanna® ?
- Does Tropicanna® require any special pruning or pinching?
- What are the best uses for the Tropicanna® series?
- How do I care for my Tropicanna® rhizomes over winter?
- How do I plant my Tropicanna® into a pond?
What size pot is needed to grow Tropicanna?
Plant in a large pot, 16 to 20 inches diameter or larger. Container grown plants will be shorter, growing to approximately three to four feet tall, and can be cut back at any time to develop new growth. The removal of stems once they have finished flowering will promote vigor, color and more flowers.
How tall will Tropicanna® grow?
In garden beds, Tropicannas will grow up to four feet tall in the first year. In mild Winter areas (zones 7 and above), they can grow up to six feet tall in subsequent years if left in the ground undisturbed. Container grown plants will be shorter, growing to approximately three to four feet tall.
Does Tropicanna® need frequent watering?
Tropicanna is a tough plant and will cope with dry conditions, however with its broad fleshy leaves, Tropicanna does require frequent watering to perform at its best. It is especially important to keep plants grown in containers moist and well fed. If a container grown plant should dry out excessively, leaves may fade losing the array of mixed colorations. If this happens, cut the plants back and water, and once they begin to grow fertilize them. Watered regularly, the Tropicanna will respond by sending up new shoots complete with vibrant colors and flowers.
Will snails or slugs attack my Tropicanna® ?
The leaves of Tropicanna can be damaged by snails and slugs. Where these pests are an issue, snail and slug control is advised.
Does Tropicanna® need to be planted in full sun?
Tropicanna performs best in full sun (six hours of sun daily), but will tolerate partial shade (minimum four hours of sun daily).
Do I need to fertilize Tropicanna® ?
Tropicanna is a high performance plant and benefits from feeding. In Spring, use a slow-release flowering plant formula high in potassium to encourage flowering. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers as too much nitrogen can produce a plant that is excessively tall and elongated.
Can Tropicanna® be grown as an indoor plant?
While not the ideal location, Tropicanna can be grown indoors in a well-lit position with a minimum of four hours of sun daily. Be sure to water and fertilize well.
Where can I grow Tropicanna® ?
Tropicanna can be grown anywhere in Summer. However, where you live will determine what you do with your Tropicanna rhizomes over Winter. This is because cannas are native to warm areas of South and Central America and sensitive to extended periods of frost.
In warmer climates they can be left in the ground year round as perennials. In colder climates they need to be lifted and brought indoors in the Winter. Of course, you aren’t required to store and save your Tropicanna over Winter, but saving them is easy and certainly a bonus! Still, if you’d rather, you can also treat them as annuals and get new ones to plant the following season. Bottomline: once you’ve grown Tropicanna, your Summer garden will seem bland without them! Here are some tips for overwintering cannas:
Milder Winters (USDA zones 7 through 11): In Fall, wait for the leaves to begin to die back, then cut off foliage to soil level. Leave the plants in-ground or in pots over the Winter. In Spring, growth will start up as warmer temperatures arrive.
More severe Winters (USDA zones 3 through 6): In Fall, dig up canna rhizomes and store them indoors over Winter. Wait till the weather turns cool and the leaves turn brown. Cut the stalks back to about six inches, then dig the rhizomes up, being careful not to injure them. Brush off loose soil and let the rhizomes dry indoors on newspaper. Store the rhizomes in peat moss in a cool dry place (not frozen) for the Winter. Cannas grown in containers can be stored indoors over Winter still in their containers, but don’t water them until it’s time to initiate growth again in the Spring.
Next Spring replant your cannas outdoors again. To get a jump on the growing season, you can pot up cannas indoors four to eight weeks prior to the last day of frost in your area. This way, they’ll already be good sized plants when you plant them out for the Summer growing season.
Does Tropicanna® require any special pruning or pinching?
No special pruning or pinching is necessary. Spent flower blooms drop naturally, but it’s a good idea to remove spent stems before they go to seed as this will encourage more foliage and flowers.
What are the best uses for the Tropicanna® series?
Tropicannas are great in borders, beds, the landscape and in containers. In USDA zones 7 through 11, where no Winter lifting is required, commercial landscapers find Tropicanna to be ideal year-round perennials for planting in garden beds, borders and container planting. All Tropicanna can also be used in water gardens, ponds and bogs. Avoid planting in windy locations as the large soft leaves may be damaged.
How do I care for my Tropicanna® rhizomes over winter?
Those of you in Zones 7 and warmer can leave them outdoors this winter, and just cut down to a few inches. However, if you expect the ground to freeze, you may want to follow the directions below:
Digging and Storing Your Tropicanna Rhizomes
In USDA zone 6 or colder, you must dig up your Tropicanna rhizomes and store them indoors if you want to keep them from year to year.
Before a really hard frost or after a light frost kills the foliage, trim the plant/foliage off to about 2-4 inches. Dig up within a week or or any time before a hard frost or before the ground freezes.
If your Tropicannas are in the ground, use a garden fork or spade to dig up the rhizomes, being careful not to injure them, which can cause rotting. If they’re in a container, carefully loosen the soil around them and lift from the soil/container. The rhizomes may have grown over the summer, so start digging a foot or more away from the stems if possible. If pieces break off, save them, too.
Preparing Tropicanna Rhizomes for Storage
Brush off excess soil (you can gently wash with a garden hose if you’d like) then trim off any roots or shriveled portions of the rhizomes. Air dry at room temperature in a shady area (no less than 45 degrees) for a few days before storing.
There are different packing and storage methods so there is no one single right way to do this. Ideally, pack the rhizomes in a single layer in a cardboard box or paper bag, separated and covered by clean dry shavings, peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, or sand or even really dry leaves. The rhizomes should not touch each other if possible. If your storage area is very dry, enclose them in a plastic bag. Punch holes in the bag or leave it loosely open so air can circulate.
Your goal is to keep the roots cool (not cold), dry and dark. Aim for a temperature between 45 and 55 degrees. If they get too cold, the rhizomes rot. When stored too warm, they may try to grow prematurely.
Check your Tropicanna rhizomes periodically. Remove any that soften or begin to rot. Rotting can be caused by cold temperatures or by storing damaged or overly wet rhizomes.
If they start to shrivel, mist with water and consider using a plastic bag to help keep them from drying out.
Good luck with your Tropicannas this winter!
How do I plant my Tropicanna® into a pond?
It is suggested that Tropicanna® be removed from the pot and the potting soil and fertilizer be washed from the roots. Then the same pot or another pot can be used to replant with garden soil, ideally clay, or a commercial pond soil that is available at most garden centers.
Use any plastic or clay pot that you have. If the pots have holes in them, line the bottom of the pot with burlap, newspaper or some other heavy-fibered material. You don't want any holes in the pot, as good drainage is not an issue. The most important thing is to keep your dirt/mud mix in one place. Most bog plants will work in 2 to 5 gallon pots. Pot size should be matched to the size and type of plant. Because most water plants grow only in the top 10-12" of soil, that is as deep as the container needs to be.
Keep the newly washed roots wet and out of the sunlight during repotting. Heavy soil with some clay is good. Avoid potting soils as is too light and will float out of the pot and dirt from your yard is just fine. To prepare the soil - mix the soil with water from the pond to make a nice thick “mudpie” in the pot of your choice. Then place the washed Tropicana® into the pot spreading the roots and with the crown of the plant 2-3” below the rim. Then fill the pot to about 2" from the top with your “mudpie” mix. Continue to fill with soil, shaking the pot gently to ensure that the soil is evenly distributed among the roots.
Leave 1-2 inches between the soil line and the rim of the container. Place clean gravel or small rocks in this area to both give the plant a more finished look and to help keep the soil inside the container and prevent your fish from disturbing the soil. Some have recommended using a layer of sand, then a layer of lava rock and then finish with a layer of sand. Tamp down firmly. Stop the soil about 3” from the top of the pot, add a thin layer of sand (1/2”), then a thick layer of black lava rock, then a layer of sand. Without fish, a 2” layer of sand is fine.
Tamp the pot on the ground a couple of times. This squeezes most of the air out of the soil, which ensures that minimal soil will be blown out into the water as the air escapes into the water, and the pot is less likely to tip over in the first few moments after having been lowered into the pond. Lower it into the pond slowly at first to let more of the remaining air escape.
We recommend that you fertilize your plants monthly with a fertilizer that has been designed specifically for aquatic plants. They come in liquid, granular or tablet form. Never pour non-aquatic liquid fertilizer into a pond. Algae will absorb most of the nutrients. Granular can be used when potting, or we recommend using tablets (tabs) which look like very large pills. You simply push them into the soil of the plant. Avoid “once-a-season” timed-release products. We have found that they dissolve too quickly adding too many nutrients to the pond at once. Never use tree spikes as they can burn the sensitive roots of the plants. A monthly routine of fertilization of pond plants will provide healthy plants with abundant flowers.
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