About

Canna 'Ambassadour' is a robust perennial that grows upright and forms clumps, reaching heights of up to 1.8 meters. Its foliage consists of substantial, slightly gray-tinged, medium-green leaves. From mid-summer through mid-autumn, it bears creamy-white flowers. Initially, the lower petals and throat feature orange to pale pink markings, which later transition to a solid ivory hue.

About the genus

Canna are herbaceous perennials characterized by their rhizomatous growth and upright stems. They feature broad, oval leaves and prominent flowers that include petal-like staminodes along with smaller, colored petals and sepals. These blooms appear in clusters, such as racemes or panicles, during the summer and autumn months.

Growing conditions

Sunlight

Full sun

Soil type

Loam, Sand

Soil pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Soil moisture

Moist but well-drained

Aspect

South-facing, West-facing

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness

H3

Plant details

Plant type

Conservatory Greenhouse, Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Clump forming

Foliage

Deciduous

Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Time to full height

2-5 years

Suggested uses

Cottage and informal garden, Architectural, City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Patio and container plants, Sub-tropical

Care notes

Cultivation

Outdoors grow in a sheltered site in fertile soil in full sun, planting in early summer once frosts have passed. Water freely in dry weather and apply a high potassium fertiliser monthly. Lift the rhizomes in autumn when frost blackens the foliage. Store over winter in barely moist peat-free potting mix or leaf mould in frost-free conditions. In mild areas leave in the ground but cover with a dry mulch. See canna cultivation

Pruning

Remove dead flowers individually to promote continued flowering. Leave to die back in autumn

Propagation

Propagate by division in early spring

Pest resistance

Maybe susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, slugs and caterpillars

Disease resistance

May be susceptible to canna viruses