Canna ‘Tropicana’
‘Tropicana’, a.k.a. Canna ‘Phaison’, is by far one of the most exotic-looking cannas. Each leaf of Canna ‘Tropicana’ is a combination of dramatic colors which seem to glow in the sun. New foliage emerges in rich burgundy tones, and stripes of red, pink, yellow and green fan out from the vivid central vein as it unfolds. The flowers are tall central blooms of bright orange and gold.
Hardy to Zone 7, its bulbs can be stored indoors in winter in colder climates. ‘Tropicana’ grows best in full sun, and requires frequent watering in the summer to attain its full size and best coloration.
This canna is of South African origin. It was introduced by Anthony Tesselaar, and is patent protected. He has stated that similar cannas are currently in development:
“We were very excited about Tropicanna, as it was a whole new color and direction in cannas. The distinctive foliage brought a new excitement into these plants. There is nothing nicer than when the sun shines through from behind the leaf and allows the colors to radiate. Yes, we are happy to say that we now have another similar canna, but a different color, coming through that will also be of the same tropical look and be a real addition to the Tropicana group.”
