Growing Elephant Ears and Canna Lillies in Virginia

Does anyone in Virginia grow these tropicals? Do you take the bulbs out of the ground or just mulch heavily?

I live in Maryland close to D.C. and I have canna's growing against my house elephant ears and crinum lilies . The crinums and the elephant ears are in a planted that is filled with mulch for the winter the canna's are grown right against the house and I think that gives them the protection that they need . I had those plants for at least 5 years and they are fine as a matter of fact the canna's need to be divided and so the crinum. Where you live should not be a problem.

I've had cannas survive out in the yard mulched for years , but also lost most of the patch last winter, probbaly did not mulch them. They were old fashioned no name tall with smallish red blooms. I'v also had amaryllis survive outside thru winter.

That's good news.

SallyG , what side of the house are they planted on, east, west south or north?
I remember my grandmother having Canna's and she never dug her's up.She lived on the eastern shore of MD.

My big Canna patch was out away from the house and somewhat shaded by trees. So it was sheltered in a way but shady too so a neutral place in my yard , zonewise, if there is one.

I have some on the south side up against my house I left in this past winter, I'm pretty positive they'll be OK. Last year I left some on the west side, probably a cold side in winter for me and they mostly froze.

Some times it isn't the cold that keeps cannas from overwintering it is the wet. If you have a really wet garden in the winter you could have trouble even if it isn't too cold for them.

Good point. What side of the house is best?

Well, I always dig mine up but I am farther north. Some times I miss a bulb and they are always mush in the spring. My yard is terrible wet in the winter. This clay soil of mine. I put mine out away from the house in beds farther away. But every garden has it's own micro clime. You know which is the driest, warmest and sunniest spots.

The south facing side of your house should be the warmest and driest, unless that side has a drainage problem making it wet, or lots of trees shading it.

The south side of my house is under the eave of the roof and it hardly gets water unless I put it there. So I dont think that would be a good area. But I might put the pots that I grow them in there, that would work.

Sounds good. My house has wide eaves on east and west, and yes it makes for a very dry two feet from the house. Canna may like dry in winter but they like water while growing.

Ok , how about around the above ground pool in pots? They would get water then and full sun.

Super, tropical looking and lush. Make sure they are BIG pots though! I had one potted last year; those rhizomes try to go out sideways, and if they can't, they send shoots down, and around looking for a break. It didn't do all that well. Leaves SEVERAL inches room around the thing you plant.

I grow some in the summer between the pool and the box pond. They do a pretty good job of hiding the pool pump/filter. It's a pretty wet area and they do well.

Pool side it is then...lol I think that will look nice.

I am invaded with red cannas I have to dig them up this year and transplant them in one other area which is going to be a screen between me and my neighbor. I hope that they will do well there. They are going planted in mulch and then in the winter they will be surrounded by dead leaves that I use for winter insulation. I have not lost any so far other than the ones that were in flower pots.

I got to try leaving one in the ground and see what happens. I know my grandmother never dug hers up. At least I never saw her do it, they just appeared every year.