Canna 'Elaroo'

Another one of Bernard Yorke's indigenous named varieties, Canna 'Elaroo' has behind it all of the vigor of the old Foliage Group, along with the flower size and refinement of the Italian Group.

A tall Australian Group cultivar; green foliage, large, ovoid shaped, maroon margin, branching habit; oval stems, coloured green; spikes of flowers are open, ivory with cerise stripes, throat cerise, staminodes are large, edges regular, good bloomer, blooms open in the early morning; fertility unknown; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and pink; tillering is average. 

Introduced by Bernard Yorke, Queensland, Australia in 2008, the breeding is C. 'Red Stripe' x 'Bengal Tiger'

Cannas by Bernard Yorke

Introducing Canna 'Elaroo'

Another one of Bernard Yorke's indigenous named varieties, Canna 'Elaroo' has behind it all of the vigor of the old Foliage Group, along with the flower size and refinement of the Italian Group.

A tall specimen, over 2 metres (6'6"). The large foliage is plain green. The flower is ivory, with cerise in the throat bleeding into the rest of the large staminodes. The rhizomes are large, and vigorous. The breeding is C. 'Red Stripe' x C. 'Bengal Tiger', aka 'Pretoria'. The latter is a mutation and was thought to be pollen sterile until Mr Yorke succeeded with this cross.

Mr Yorke states,"I think that ‘dipping’ back into a species-type from time to time can bring some rewards in both vigor and resistance to some of our problems. "

In fact, it adds to our problems as we do not have a cultivar group to describe this cultivar! The flower is too large to make it a Foliage Group member, and its flower does not have the flaccid appearance of the pollen parents Italian Group membership.

An all-round exciting addition to the Canna genus. It is not an entrant in this years International Canna Trials, but I hope that we in Europe will have a chance to see it in the flesh in the next few years.

Cannas by Bernard Yorke