About

Canna 'Cleopatra' is a robust perennial that grows up to 1.2 meters in height. Its sizable foliage can exhibit shades of green, bronze, or a combination of both. The plant produces flowers from mid-summer through mid-autumn, which may be red, yellow, or a blend of these colors.

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
Herbaceous Perennial, Conservatory Greenhouse
Habit
Clump forming
Foliage
Deciduous
Height
1-1.5 metres
Spread
0.5-1 metres
Time to full height
2-5 years
Suggested uses
City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Architectural, Patio and container plants, Sub-tropical

Care notes

Cultivation
Outdoors grow in a sheltered site in fertile soil in full sun or semi-shade, 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 of rhizomes in early spring
Pest resistance
Maybe susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, slugs and caterpillars
Disease resistance
May be susceptible to canna viruses