About

Canna 'President' is a clump-forming perennial that reaches heights of up to 1.5 meters. It features broad, grey-green foliage and produces large, gladiolus-like flowers in a bold scarlet hue. Each petal has a delicate yellow edge and is adorned with a yellow marking at its center. These vibrant blooms appear on robust stems, flourishing from summer through early autumn.

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
Bushy, Clump forming
Foliage
Deciduous
Height
1-1.5 metres
Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height
2-5 years
Suggested uses
Architectural, Coastal, Patio and container plants, City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Sub-tropical

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
Deadhead flowers to promote continued flowering. Leave to dieback in autumn
Propagation
Propagate by division of rhizomes in early spring
Pest resistance
May be susceptible to aphids, glasshouse red spider mite, slugs and snails and caterpillars
Disease resistance
May be susceptible to canna viruses