About

Canna 'Happy Carmen' is a compact, deciduous perennial that grows from rhizomes and features dense, dark green leaves. Its upright stems produce vibrant red blooms from mid-summer through early autumn. This variety is well-suited for pots, containers, or sunny borders because of its manageable size.

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
0.1-0.5 metres
Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height
2-5 years
Suggested uses
Architectural, City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Patio and container plants

Care notes

Cultivation
As a patio plant grow in pots of peat-free compost in a sheltered site in full sun. Plants can also be planted into a sunny border. Water freely and apply a high potassium feed every 2-3 weeks in the growing season. Lift the rhizomes in autumn when frost blackens the foliage. Store over winter in barely moist compost in frost-free conditions. See canna cultivation for further information
Pruning
Leave to die back in autumn, deadhead flowers to prolong flowering
Propagation
Propagate by division of rhizomes in spring
Pest resistance
May be susceptible to caterpillars, glasshouse red spider mite and aphids
Disease resistance
May be susceptible to canna viruses