iridiflora

Canna iridiflora

Canna iridiflora

(Wild Species)

Height Tall, over 6ft/185cm
Foliage Green
Form Branching
Flower Pink
Blooming Low bloomer
Flowering Early autumn to frosts
Tillering Slow
Available Specialist

Canna iridiflora is a tall species; green foliage, elliptical shaped, acute apex, branching habit; oval main stems, coloured green; hanging panicles of flowers are bell-shaped, self-coloured rose, staminodes are medium size, edges regular, petals red, fully self-cleaning, low bloomer, flowers in the late summer until frosts, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, self-pollinating and also true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and pink; tillering is slow.

Canna iridiflora

Canna iridiflora is available from specialist growers. Around the year 1900 there were three main species that were continually being crossed, i.e. indica, glauca and iridiflora. The growing of this species has become very rare, as people complain that it is hard to grow. Yet Messrs. Crozy, Lambert and others were able to grow it and use it in their breeding programmes, even with the low level technology and botanical knowledge at their disposal over 100 years ago.

References

Johnson’s Dictionary 1856

6’, Red iris-like flowers indoors in December, from Peru, and introduced to England in 1816.

George Nicholson, The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening, 1888.

(Iris-flowered). Flowers rose, with a yellow spot on the lip; spikes slightly drooping, several emanating from the same spathe. Flowers in the summer. Leaves broadly ovate-acuminate. Height 6-8’. Introduced from Peru in 1816.

RHS Journal of 1894

RHS Journal of 1899-1900

RHS Journal of 1901-2

Cassells Dictionary of Practical Gardening, Walter P. Wright, 1910

6'to 8'. red and yellow flowers, with green foliage.

Origin & Evolution of Cultivated Cannas, Khoshoo & Guha

Rhizhome: Tuberous Height:300-500cm Stem Green Leaf: Bright green, broadly oblong Inflorescence: Paniculate drooping Flower: Rose or pink, 6.4cm diameter, sepal: 2.9cm, staminoidia: 5 Capsule: oblong, 3.0x2.0cm.

Origin & Evolution of Cultivated Cannas, Khoshoo & Guha

Rhizome: tuberous Height: 300-500cm Stem: Green Leaf: Bright green, broadly oblong Inflorescence: Paniculate, drooping Flower: rose or pink, 6.4cm diameter, sepal length: 2.9cm, staminoidia: 5 Capsule: oblong, size: 3.0 x 2.0

Kelly's Plant World, California, USA. 1989

This is a species. The plant that often passes in the trade under this name is Ehemanni, which is a hybrid, and does not set seed. The species iridiflora is from Peru, and does produce seed.

KAVB International Canna Checklist, September 2004

iridiflora Ruiz Lopez & Pavon Peru; inflorescence a drooping panicle, flowers waxy, reddish pink, more or less hanging, leaves green, height up to 3 m, autumn flowering.

Claines Canna Collection 2006

Summary: Flowers hanging down in large pendants of pink, riding above large, green leaves. Size: Spreading stems and gently spreading leaves creates a goblet shaped clump. Plant height 5m (16ft).

Flower: Pendant shaped carmine-red to purple, 10-14cm (4-5½in) long, with a relatively long tubular part and 8 coloured lobes; petals not reflexed; staminoids 4. Foliage: Green (137A) with pale inner edge and dark outer edge.

Origin: Species canna occurring in Peru at altitudes of 1,800-2,850m (6,000-9,000ft). It was introduced to England in 1816. 

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