Illustration
Canna Lily
Canna
Also called indian shot and wild canna lily
Canna Lily blooms from July through September.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Canna Lily
Plant it in full sun. It prefers high water. It is hardy in USDA zones 7–10. Expect it to reach about 5 ft tall and 2 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Canna Lily. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Canna Lily
Canna Lily is a summer bulb planted in spring: get it in after the last frost, once the soil has warmed, March or April in zone 8, the middle of its hardy zones 7 to 10. It is hardy in zones 7 to 10, where it can stay in the ground over winter; colder than zone 7, lift and store it before the ground freezes. Expect flowers from July to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 8, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 8 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Canna Lily get?
5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult2 ftwideSee Canna Lily in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
Where these facts come from
Canna Lily's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 13 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenCanna aquatic groupheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCanna, genusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCanna x generalisheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCanna indicaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCanna glaucaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCanna flaccidaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterCanna flaccidaheight, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, spread and sun
- University of Arkansas ExtensionPlant of the Weekheight, hardiness zones and sun
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Centerheight and sun
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Gardening Solutionsheight and sun
- University of Illinois Extensionheight and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 11 varieties across 4 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
- Australia
- Bengal Tiger
- Cleopatra
- Durban
- Lucifer
- Pink President
- President
- Tropicanna
- Tropicanna Gold
- Wyoming
- Yellow King Humbert
Compare every variety in the Canna Lily group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Red | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2 ft |
| Bengal Tiger | Orange | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 6 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Cannathis page | Red | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2 ft |
| Cleopatra | Yellow | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 2 ft |
| Durban | Orange | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2 ft |
| Lucifer | Red | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1.5 ft |
| Pink President | Pink | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2 ft |
| President | Red | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2 ft |
| Tropicanna | Orange | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Tropicanna Gold | Orange | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Wyoming | Orange | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2 ft |
| Yellow King Humbert | Yellow | Jul–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 2 ft |
Good to know about Canna Lily
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
It loves wet soil, even pond margins, in summer, yet that same wet ground turns lethal to the dormant rhizome in cold, poorly drained winter soil. per NC State
How cold-hardy it is
Sources split on cold-hardiness: one lists zones 6 to 10, another 8 to 11, and cold states lift it entirely. The safe in-ground limit sits near zone 7 to 8. per NC State and Wisconsin
Signature pest: leafrollers
Two leaf-rolling caterpillars, the larger and lesser canna leafrollers, roll and skeletonize the leaves. Cut back and destroy dead foliage after frost to kill the ones overwintering inside. per NC State and UGA
Thrives at the water's edge
It tolerates wet ground and shallow standing water, so it doubles as a bog or pond-margin plant, as long as the crown is not deeply submerged. per NC State and Clemson
Draws hummingbirds and bees
Red and orange flowers attract hummingbirds and the blooms draw bees, though many showy modern hybrids offer far less nectar than the wild species. per NC State
Viruses ride in rhizomes
Cannas catch several viruses, notably canna yellow mottle virus, that cause yellow mottling and streaking. They spread through infected rhizomes and cannot be cured, so start from clean stock. per NC State and 3 Biotech
What pairs well with Canna Lily
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and high water; blooms in mid fall as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; echoes the red.
White Clover
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
Pansy
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Tulip Tree
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
English Daisy
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; they only overlap in zones 7 to 8.
Sweet Alyssum
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; low at 5 in, to carpet the ground beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both offer pollinator forage.
Autumn Crocus
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath.
Gardenia
Takes full sun to part sun and high water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; its white flowers settle the red.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.