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The Canna ‘Tropicana’ is considered by many to be the most exotic of all cannas. Cannas are already known for making a bold statement in the garden. Their colorful foliage and intense flower colors make them stand out among other plants. Canna ‘Tropicana’ takes things a step further with tropical-looking, varieagated leaves and almost fluorescent-looking deep orange flowers.
The Canna ‘Tropicana’ is also known by two other names: ‘Phaison’ and ‘Durban Orange’. Because the flowers are large, orange, and similar to those of Canna ‘Wyoming’, it is thought to be a sport of Wyoming. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as a ‘variegated Wyoming’. It was originally selected by Jan Potgeither of South Africa, and patented by Anthony Tesselaar, making it one of the few patented cannas.
The beautiful Canna ‘Tropicana’ was introduced nationwide in the United States in the 1990s, and since then has proved itself to be extremely popular. It can thrive outdoors planted in the ground or as a potted plant. It can even be grown indoors if the conditions are right, with ample sunlight and watering. It is sold in containers at garden centers, and Tropicana canna bulbs are also available from mailorder catalogs and Internet retailers.
The combination of leaf and flower colors, as well as its tall, exotic profile, gives Canna ‘Tropicana’ its unique beauty. As it grows, each new leaf unveils itself with a display of deep burgundy stripes fanning off of a chartreuse center vein. The stripes soon differentiate into a variety of colors, from burgundy to red, pink, gold, yellow, and green. The center vein remains chartreuse.
Every Tropicana canna leaf is slightly different. The shades and intensities of color combine in unique ways, and shimmer in an iridescent glow when hit by sunlight. Against this backdrop of rich deep leaf colors, bright orange flowers unveil themselves. The flowers themselves are intense in color, nearly fluorescent, with deep, intense orange margins and centers. Canna ‘Tropicana’ flowers bloom from summer through fall.
Canna ‘Tropicana’ is a very easy plant to grow overall. It needs ample sunlight (around 6 hours a day), so it works best to plant them in full sun or light shade. They grow best with plenty of water, and to get the intense colors they are famous for, nighttime temperatures of around 60 ° F or higher are needed. They are hardy in cooler temperatures, but will not display their full color potential.
Protecting Canna ‘Tropicana’ for the winter is fairly simple. If you reside in climate Zone 7 (average low temperature of 0° F) or warmer, they can be left in the ground during the winter. For extra protection, it is recommended that you cover them with a deep layer of mulch. If you live in Zone 6 or colder, the canna bulbs can be dug out of the ground and stored in a cool, dark place. Be sure to store them somewhere that won’t freeze. They can then be replanted in the ground the following spring.
Although the intial investment in Tropicana cannas can be more expensive than the generic varieties of canna, they can grow and divide prolifically under the right conditions. If you store your bulbs during the winter, you can divide them and replant them in different clusters the following season. If you leave your cannas in the ground, a healthy cluster can be divided with a sharp shovel and moved. Either way, a small investment will pay off in a many large clusters of these beautiful plants in a few short years.
Canna Tropicana photo by J.G. in S.F.
