Canna 'Burgundia'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; green foliage, small, oval shaped, branching habit; triangular stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, red with a wide gold margin, staminodes are large, edges ruffled, labellum is red with a gold margin, petals yellow, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU.

Canna 'Bavaria'

A medium sized aquatic Italian Group cultivar, equally at home as a water marginal or in the border; green foliage, oval shaped, spreading habit; flowers are open, yellow with red blotches, throat red, staminodes are large, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin. 

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1897. In "Notes on the Orchid-flowering Cannas". Garden & Forest of 29th September 1897, Prof. F. A. Waugh declared that "Italia is a beautiful Canna, to be sure, perhaps the best one of this class yet introduced, but Burgundia and Bavaria are so much like it that a careless observer would pass them by as all of the same kind. Both new varieties are, however, of smaller stature than Italia and have smaller foliage. The flowers in all three are of a brilliant canary-yellow upon which two shades of rich apricot red are successively overlaid. In Italia the red colors are run together in the throat to make somewhat regular solid blotches bordered with very deep bands of the clear yellow, like an exaggerated Queen Charlotte. In Bavaria there is very little of the darker red shade, while the lighter red is scattered in small dots well out upon the petal-like staminodia." 

Synonym: C. 'Sunburst'

Canna 'Austria'

A medium sized aquatic Italian Group cultivar, equally at home as a water marginal or in the border; green foliage, oblong shaped, upright habit; flowers are cupped, self-coloured yellow, throat red spots on yellow, staminodes are large, edges regular, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white; tillering is prolific. 

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann and Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1893. Announced along with C. 'Italia', caused much interest as their large flowers were considered to be a major breakthrough. Herr Sprenger crossed C. 'Madame Crozy' with C. flaccida 'Le Roi'. Synonyms: C. 'Austra', C. 'Canary Bird', C. 'Lemon Zest', C. 'Richard Wallace', C. 'Souvenir de Jeanne'

Canna 'Australia'

A tall Italian Group cultivar; bronze foliage, ovoid shaped, maroon margin, upright habit; flowers are open, self-coloured red-orange, staminodes are large, edges frilled, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured purple; tillering is average.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann and Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1906.

Canna 'America'

A tall Italian Group cultivar; bronze foliage; oval stems, coloured purple; flowers are open, orient-red (RHS 42A) with salmon spots, throat yellow, staminodes are large, good bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter. Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU.

Granted the RHS Award of Merit in 1897. Mention must be made of the farina 'sheen' on the stems and leaves. In the same year Professor F. A. Waugh, University of Vermont, wrote that "We have just had this Canna in flower, the third in Dammann's list of so-called "Orchid-flowering" Cannas. It has been something of a surprise to us, for in some way we had formed the notion that it was inferior to Italia and Austria. In our present opinion, however, it ranks above both. The foliage seems to be stronger and tougher, and is of a color much harder to get in Cannas. It is dark bronzy-red, with irregular and inconspicuous dashes of lighter greenish color. The flowering-stem is tall and strong, bearing a large spike of flowers of the form and size of Italia.

They are, however, of a most rare and striking color, a sort of brilliant apricot-red faintly spotted with darker salmon. The centre is canary-yellow, marked with the apricot-red of the body color, very much after the pattern of Austria and Burbank, except that in America the centre is lighter-colored than the wings. The blossoms are richer in appearance than any of the earlier Orchid-flowering Cannas. They do not appear to be better in substance, though; and this seems likely to prevent the general use of all the Canna flacida crosses in outdoor bedding. If it were not for this flabby quality of their blossoms they would soon very largely supersede the French dwarf Cannas for all classes of ornamental work."

This is a cross between the Crozy Group cultivar C. ‘President Carnot’ x C. flaccida ‘Le Roi’ in 1893. 
Canna flaccida 'Le Roi' would appear to be a C. flaccida strain that had settled down to the climate of Naples, rather than the sub-tropical climate of Florida and southern USA. At Claines Canna we are attempting to establish a strain of C. flaccida that can grow happily in our mangled climate. We are not crossing it, just growing on the strongest rhizomes year after year. The crosses between the Crozy Group and C. flaccida are some of the most important ever made and we want to perpetuate these crosses.

Canna 'Allemania'

A medium sized aquatic Italian Group cultivar, equally at home as a water marginal or in the border; green foliage, oval shaped, branching habit; round stems, coloured green + purple; panicles of flowers are open, salmon-red with a gold margin, throat gold, staminodes are large, edges irregular, labellum is salmon-red, petals purple, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white and purple; tillering is prolific. 

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1897. Still being sold in the USA in 1950, the Inter-State Nurseries Catalogue of that year offers it for sale. Still available in the EU. Introduced in 1897, earning an immediate Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Also featured in the 1908 RHS outdoor trials at Wisley, England, EU. Synonyms: C. 'Alemannia', C. 'Cattleya'

Canna 'Africa'

A tall Italian Group cultivar; bronze foliage, ovoid shaped, branching habit; panicles of flowers are open, self-coloured orange-red, throat gold, staminodes are large, edges lightly frilled, petals purple, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured purple; tillering is prolific. 

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1898. Research indicates that the first mention of this heritage cultivar is in the RHS Journal of 1898, the last record is Tropical Plants and Gardening, H.F. MacMillan, 5th Edition, 1954. Our specimen was imported from Austra-Asia.

Canna 'Partenope'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; green foliage, large, ovoid shaped, maroon margin, upright habit; triangular stems, coloured green + purple; panicles of flowers are open, red-orange and burnt-red, throat orange-yellow with red-orange spots, staminodes are large, edges frilled, petals purple, fully self-cleaning; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and purple; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1897. Synonyms: C. 'Orange Beauty', C. 'Parthenope'

Canna 'La France'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; bronze foliage, oval shaped; round stems, coloured purple; flowers are open, self-coloured orange-red, throat yellow, staminodes are large, edges frilled, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured purple; tillering is average.


Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1898. Under the synonym of Canna 'General Eisenhower', won the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) at the 2002 RHS outdoor Canna Trials. Synonyms are C. 'Black Tropicanna', C. 'General Eisenhower', C. 'President Roosevelt'

Canna 'Kronos'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, branching habit; panicles of flowers are open, yellow with orange spots, staminodes are large, edges irregular, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white; tillering is average.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU. Featured in the 1908 RHS outdoor trials at Wisley, without award.

Canna 'Italia'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, upright habit; triangular stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, self-coloured yellow, throat cardinal-red, staminodes are large, edges frilled, labellum is red, stamen is yellow with a wide red margin, style is red, petals red with farina, fully self-cleaning; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white and purple; tillering is average.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1894. Announced along with C. 'Austria' in 1894, these two new cultivars caused a sensation at that time, producing much larger flowers than the Crozy Group had been capable of producing. It is a seedling of Canna 'Madame Crozy' x C. flaccida.

Planting outdoors

The 10 day weather prediction for Worcester shows no frosts in the immediate future, but it still has to be too early to commit the collection to the vagaries of the weather Gods.

Revisiting Canna 'Deutscher Kronprinz'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; dark foliage, oval shaped, branching habit; panicles of flowers are open, self-coloured scarlet, staminodes are large, edges irregular, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured purple; tillering is average.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1907. Featured in the 1908 outdoor RHS trials at Wisley, without success. The only known synonym is C. ' Deutscher'.

Introducing Canna 'Trumeric Yellow'

A recent introduction to the Claines Canna Collection.

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; green foliage, ovoid shaped, branching habit; spikes of flowers are open, self-coloured saffron-yellow, staminodes are large, edges ruffled, labellum is saffron-yellow with orange-red spots, stamen is saffron-yellow with orange-red spots, petals green, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white; tillering is average.

The origins of this cultivar are unknown, and there are two strands of possibility. Either this is an ancient cultivar, dating back over 100 years to the epic times of Sprenger and Wintzer, or it is a mutation associated with C. 'Roi Humbert' and C. 'Yellow King Humbert'. More research is needed, but in the meantime we have acquired a great addition to the Italian Group of Cannas. I believe that this temporary name will eventually be replaced by the old, correct name.

Revisiting Canna 'Bavaria'

A medium sized aquatic Italian Group cultivar, equally at home as a water marginal or in the border; green foliage, oval shaped, spreading habit; flowers are open, yellow with red blotches, throat red, staminodes are large, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1897.

In "Notes on the Orchid-flowering Cannas". Garden & Forest of 29th September 1897, Prof. F. A. Waugh declared that "Italia is a beautiful Canna, to be sure, perhaps the best one of this class yet introduced, but Burgundia and Bavaria are so much like it that a careless observer would pass them by as all of the same kind. Both new varieties are, however, of smaller stature than Italia and have smaller foliage. The flowers in all three are of a brilliant canary-yellow upon which two shades of rich apricot red are successively overlaid. In Italia the red colors are run together in the throat to make somewhat regular solid blotches bordered with very deep bands of the clear yellow, like an exaggerated Queen Charlotte. In Bavaria there is very little of the darker red shade, while the lighter red is scattered in small dots well out upon the petal-like staminodia."

Synonym: C. 'Sunburst'

Revisiting Canna 'Burgundia'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; green foliage, small, oval shaped, branching habit; triangular stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, red with a wide gold margin, staminodes are large, edges ruffled, labellum is red with a gold margin, petals yellow, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU.

Revisiting Canna 'Phœbe'

A tall Italian Group cultivar; dark green foliage, oval shaped, maroon margin, upright habit; oval stems, coloured purple; flowers are open, self-coloured orange-red, staminodes are large, edges lightly frilled, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, late bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured purple; tillering is average.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU. Synonym: C. 'Fire Red'

Revisiting Canna 'Trinacria'

A very tall Italian Group cultivar; light green foliage, large, oval shaped, branching habit; panicles of flowers are open, self-coloured sulphur-yellow, throat pearl, staminodes are large, labellum is sulphur-yellow, stamen is sulphur-yellow, style is sulphur-yellow, petals green, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU. Flowers show their C. flaccida heritage, they are very thin and fade very quickly, but while they are young they are an absolute delight. There is a faint lighter marking running from the throat up to the middle of some petals.

Revisiting Canna 'Aphrodite'

A medium sized Premier Group cultivar; dark (137A) foliage, oblong shaped, maroon margin, spreading habit; round stems, coloured purple; panicles of flowers are open, self-coloured salmon, staminodes are large, labellum is pink (51A), stamen is pink, petals red, good bloomer; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured pink and purple; tillering is average.

Introduced by P. Schmid. Awards: Royal Horticultural Society, England – Canna Trial 2002, AGM after trial at Wisley 2002, submitted by Hart Cannas. A.M.-B.C. 1971.

However, Brunning's Catalogue, of 1906 describes an earlier cultivar with this name, it was described as broad green leaves, immense trusses of bloom, golden yellow, with large salmon spots, inner petals salmon. It feautured in the 1908 RHS Outdoor Trials, and was described in Das Geschlecht der Canna, by Árpád Mühle in 1910, with the bredding being attributed to C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU. It was also mentioned in Standardized Plant Names, 1942.

It is rumoured that the original cultivar is still grown in Austral-Asia.

Revisiting Canna 'Allemania'

A medium sized aquatic Italian Group cultivar, equally at home as a water marginal or in the border; green foliage, oval shaped, branching habit; round stems, coloured green + purple; panicles of flowers are open, salmon-red with a gold margin, throat gold, staminodes are large, edges irregular, labellum is salmon-red, petals purple, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white and purple; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1897.

Still being sold in the USA in 1950, the Inter-State Nurseries Catalogue of that year offers it for sale. Still available in the EU.

Awards: Introduced in 1897, earning an immediate Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Also featured in the 1908 RHS outdoor trials at Wisley, England, EU.

Synonyms: C. 'Alemannia', C. 'Cattleya'

Revisiting Canna 'Africa'

A tall Italian Group cultivar; bronze foliage, ovoid shaped, branching habit; panicles of flowers are open, self-coloured orange-red, throat gold, staminodes are large, edges lightly frilled, petals purple, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured purple; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU in 1898.

Research indicates that the first mention of this heritage cultivar is in the RHS Journal of 1898, the last record is Tropical Plants and Gardening, H.F. MacMillan, 5th Edition, 1954.