companion plants for cannas

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Hi, I ordered a bunch of cannas from the coop this week and I'm trying to figure out where to plant with them. and what to plant with them. I also ordered asiatic lilies from the coop, but I think here in Tx because of the extreme heat, lilies need afternoon shade. If the cannas could get buy with half day sun, then I guess I could plant them together. Any ideas?

Summerville, SC(Zone 8a)

Elephant ears and banana go nicely with them along with brugmansia.

X

Thumbnail by Xeramtheum

I am going to plant castor bean plants in the back of my canna's this year.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Xeramtheum, do you mean you plant elephant ears with cannas or asiatic lilies? I thought elephant ears needed shade (mine like it atleast). If you plant brugmansia with canna, does the canna get enough sun? I'm wondering how big a brugmansia will get here since it will die down to the ground in winter. How big does yours get?

Summerville, SC(Zone 8a)

Brugs and EE with canna. My brugs die back every year, come back and get taller each year .. last year they were over 12 feed tall. I have found that green elephant ears can take full sun as long as they have lots of water. Full sun also seems to slow their growth a bit too. The black EE's you see in the corner were there for 2 years .. they never seemed to do anything but hang on for dear life so I moved them this year to a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I don't think they are suited to hot blazing sun like the green ones.

As to Brugs with canna, I don't actually have any that are planted with the canna. They are beside it. If I actually incorporated the brugs in my canna bed I would put them on the north side of the canna so the canna get the premium sun exposure and I would strip the bottom leaves of the brug to make it a tree form. Brugs prefer morning sun and afternoon shade but I have found you can grow them in full sun as long as they get a lot of water. That's one of the reasons Canna, brugs and elephant ear are good together because they all are water hogs.

I think the caladiums that can take full sun would go well with canna as well. I've never grown asiatic lily but with the way that canna spread, I'd think they would be overwhelmed in one season.

X

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Xeramtheum, thanks much. Very good advice. Especially about the canna crowding out the asiatic lily. The lilies I bought are supposed to be very vigorous also, so planted together they could be explosive.:) We are quite a bit dryer than you are though, so I think I'll keep my EE in the shade. They get watered by the air conditioner drip.

I like the idea of planting brugs and canna. I just have to pick which of 2 spots to put them in. I have a spot next to the pond where a brug would get atleast some afternoon shade and the cannas could go on the south side of it.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Another question. I read on some thread that canna will rot in a pond if it's not in dirt. Well I need to put some of these in the pond, so I'm assuming I need to put them in a pot with dirt. Some I wanted to put in the bog, which is not deep enough for a pot. We have pretoria already in there and they are planted in just river rocks I think, but maybe there's some dirt too. The pretoria didn't have a problem in the bog, but maybe that's just pretoria? I would really hate for these awsome plants to rot.

Summerville, SC(Zone 8a)

I've had no experience with growing canna in water. I'll be learning this year as I have traded for some water canna seeds.

X

Lakeland, FL(Zone 9b)

X caladiums make great water plants to if you have theam in a few inches of water they will bloom really fast Paul

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Well X, I guess we'll both be doing an experiment this year.

Phicks, I did order some caladiums from the coop. Where I need to put them I don't think I can plant them in water though.

Akron, PA(Zone 6b)

I have burgundy cannas that are in pots with a few inches of water over the pots. They are in full sun. This year I plan to plant some in the kitty litter that I learned about in the water garden forum. Check that out. I am new and am not sure how to insert it to help you find it or I would.

Clemmons, NC(Zone 7b)

Gingers look nice with cannas, too

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

RatherBDiging, is that kitty litter made of zeolite? I have heard of some people using zeolite for kitty litter. It will absorb liquids. The toxic waste industry uses it to soak up toxic spills. Never thought of planting cannas in it though. That just might work. I have some in the gh. I need to get it out and see how much water it will soak up.

Tropicanna I have butterfly ginger, but the nursery where I bought it said it didn't like a lot of sun, so it gets about 3 hours in the morning and none in the afternoon because it's on the east side of the house. What kind of ginger did you use?

Clemmons, NC(Zone 7b)

Huh, I planted my butterfly ginger I got from my mom's garden-both in full sun and did just fine.

I've at least envisioned a bed with variegated shell ginger with cannas. I have a bed with Hedychium "elizabeth" with canna with "Flavenscens" nearby. Ordered an obscene amount of plants that will arrive soon. Also have plans for Blue Ginger, H. "Dr Moy", Z. "Midnight", and Z. 'Dancing Crane"

Globba Wentii-there's a purple kind that'e way cool, too.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Well, it could be the difference in climate. Maybe we are hotter than you are and I'm pretty sure we are dryer. Your envisiioned bed sounds very interesting, but I'm not familiar with those names at all. Are some of them cannas?

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Gingers are so interesting. But unfortunately they are pretty much a luxury for me because they need so much water. But then so are cannas, Probably shouldn't have order so many, but at that price they are hard to turn down.

Clemmons, NC(Zone 7b)

No doubt you are hotter and drier in TX. My butterfly ginger is at the top of a hot, dry bank (still not TX hot & dry, but pretty darn hot and dry-lol) and it does well. My mom is on the coast (8a or b-not sure) where it is a bit hotter and slightly less rainfall-her's is in direct sun and does beautifully.

wonder if there are other ginger growers in TX, come to think of it.

The names listed above are all gingers-most of them hardy to my zone, except "Midnight", "Blue Ginger", and the variegated shell ginger (which I'm going to try to push with some mulch.

Akron, PA(Zone 6b)

Silverfluter:
I am not sure about the kittly litter answers. I have to find the thread that I read about it. I know if has to be the Walmart Special kitty litter. It was about the same as higher priced aquatic material. Not all kitty litters are the same. I am not familiar how to put in the hypertext, but it was in a thread labeled kitty litter. I do not know about the absorption of water...I never tried it yet, but plan to. I liked the idea because I have a hard time getting the fertilizer tabs in the clay soil and the kitty litter was said to stay looser allowing it to be easier to put in the tabs.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Thanks RatherBDigging. I'll look for the thread.

Morrinsville ~Waikat, New Zealand

I have dahlias (peaches'n cream) with my cannas as they both flower all Summer together .
Emelle

Thumbnail by Emelle
Morrinsville ~Waikat, New Zealand

In another part of the garden I have silver artemesia with pink cannas -they both like the dryish conditions here .Next year I think I will move the gaura over with them to make a grouping.
Emelle

Thumbnail by Emelle
Cordele, GA(Zone 8a)

Love that combination, Emelle. Really makes the canna blooms stand out. Such a soft and soothing appeal to the eye!

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

I've just been lurking but I stick Cannas in about everywhere. Here there are daylilies, artemesia, hostas, an orange tree, Liatris spicata, gladiola, an espaliered apple tree, lilies, miniature pomegranates, sedum, dahlias, wisteria, hydrangeas, Japanese Maple, azaleas, clematis. Daffodils take up the space when the cannas aren't blooming... And calla lilies love the same conditions. Damp and sunny. Don't forget carex and hakone grass. Juncus spiralis (a very twisty sort of grass - but not grass), iris, especially louisiana iris as they are happy with damp feet. Rosemary and the dwarf nandina in those bright colors can echo the colored leaves of the cannas.

You can easily plant in the shade of the hostas with your shade plants. That works very well. I have trees that give shade too and you can plant the cannas just outside of their shelter - you just have to play with it.

This message was edited Mar 29, 2007 6:20 PM

Thumbnail by doss
Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

That bed was in full sun but here's a photo where the house and shrubs shade the plants in the foreground and the cannas are out of the shadow of the house in the sun. I love the surprise of a tropical canna at the end of a shade garden.

Thumbnail by doss
Cordele, GA(Zone 8a)

Doss, your gardening pics are an art form! I'll keep referring back to your pics for inspiration when I group some of those same plants in my beds.

Morrinsville ~Waikat, New Zealand

What a gorgeous garden,doss ! In the first photo is the small canna really that colour ? I have never seen anything like that -the burgundy foliage is stunning with the pink ,and the small spiky purply plant on the right in the first photo -is it a NZ flax ? (phormium? ) I really like how lush your planting is .
Emelle

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

I'm glad that they helped.

The spiky purple plant I believe is a phormium. This bed was started when I wasn't a DG member so I'd just get plants from the nursery and not mark them. The same with the pink canna - and I do believe that it is that color. Unfortunately I don't know the name of it but it's quite common here.

If you do get a phormium though be sure that it's a miniature. I had one that was 8 feet tall that I had to remove! Guess you'd know about that Emelle. :-)

Oh, I forgot to mention that there is a dwarf evergreen right in front of the cannas. It works very well too. And foxtail fern. I've also heard of people building up rock beds and planting sempervivum which come in such great complementary colors. Mondo grass is another one of my favorites and grows in zone 7 I believe. It will take full sun if it's given enough water. Ajuga and creeping Jenny are two groundcovers I like. And also Hakone grass. Here it will grow in full sun but is bleached out at the end of the summer.

Oh and I forgot Statice limonium and russian sage. Russian sage would be a perennial for you. the statice would have to be grown as an annual. I think that there aren't too many things that can't be happy with a canna right by.

And they look pretty with hardy hibiscus too.

Texas/Okla central b, United States(Zone 7b)

the hot pink canna looks like China Doll........great job Doss

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

Thanks for the ID jackieshar - now it will no longer be a NOID canna. :-) China Doll is a great name for it.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

beautiful pictures Doss. There's something going in every spot. I have lots of bare spots in my beds because I'm still trying to figure out what to put there, but slowly with the help of DG I'm getting there. Your pictures are very inspiring and help me to understand how plants work together.

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

This garden has taken 30 years and I'm still experimenting. It's the process of discovery and redesigning I love. I do tend to be a collector rather than a designer most of the time though. I do try to make a collection of things additive to the landscape when I can. I have to keep myself entertained some way. :-) I did add 7 cannas last year and lost one of them and am looking forward to the other 6 doing their thing this year. Someone gave me a Chocolate Cherry and I'm thrilled about that. I put in a hosta garden and this year added astilbe and ferns this spring and am going to put some heuchera and caladiums in there too. In other words, it doesn't happen all at one time for me.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Doss, I know. It's a ssslllooowww process. DH asks me sometimes, "Well what are you going to do with all this space?" I tell him, I'll fill it as I figure it out. Some experiments don't work. I've been working on this almost 10 years. I started with an antique rose garden spread out across the yard, and I'm just now beginning to fill in between them.

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

I do love antique roses. That's what I mean about making a collection part of the garden. I know that it will turn out beautifully. I do love Russian Sage with roses particularly. The gray foliage and foamy purple flowers really set them off and now they have new dwarf cultivars.

Morrinsville ~Waikat, New Zealand

I hadn't thought of putting sage with roses ,but can visualise that they would look really lovely together ,though I'm not sure what 'Russian' sage is ...Is it Salvia ? Lavender with roses is popular here ,but the stems of lavender get very 'woody' and bare-looking .
Things for me have GOT to 'go -together' ,so I don't think my garden will ever be finished ,as I shift things to look better .Every now and then it comes together well ,and I think 'Wow ,that worked !'
Emelle

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

Here's the sage. It doesn't get woody as it is a perennial and is cut down in the spring. It gets about 4 feet tall so it's good behind shorter roses and the dwarf varieties grow to about 2 feet I believe. People always ask about the sage and the gaura, which also comes in a smaller version.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/search.php?search_text=russian+sage&Search=Search

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Yes I have a russian sage next to a fence with New Dawn growing on it. The interesting thing about russian sage is that the growth is sort etherial. You can see right through it. This fence is made of juniper branches and is only for decoration (not for keeping anything out) so it's less than 3 feet tall. Behind the fence I planted some President cannas. We'll see how that works.

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

Sounds stunning. I agree with you about the etherial effect of sage - and new dawn must be perfect for it. It will be fun to see a photo of the effect of the red canna.

Cordele, GA(Zone 8a)

Can calla lilies be a front border companion plant for cannas?

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

I'll try to get a good picture this year. This is the first spring we've had a digital camera. My roses all look so good because of all the rain. I just hope it doesn't turn into an oven too quick here because all those wonderful rose buds will roast.:(

Stanford, CA(Zone 9b)

Yes, callas grow very well with cannas. I just planted cannas in back of this old stand of callas.

I hope that your roses bloom beautifully way before the heat gets them.

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