Upton

Canna 'Upton'

(French Group)
[Country Life Series]

Origin DALEBØ Thor
Parentage unknown
Height Small, under 3ft/90cm
Foliage Green
Form Arching
Flower Orange
Blooming Outstanding bloomer
Flowering Early summer to frosts
Tillering Slow
Available Specialist

Introduced by Thor Dalebø of Normandy, France in 2007, Canna 'Upton' is a small cultivar; dark green foliage, oval shaped, acute apex, white margin, arching habit; oval main stems, coloured green; triangular flower stalks, coloured green; spikes of flowers are open, red-orange with a rose-red blush, staminodes are medium size, edges irregular, labellum is red-orange and gold, stamen is gold with cadmium-orange spots, style is gold, petals purple, fully self-cleaning, outstanding bloomer, flowers in early summer until frosts, blooms open in the early morning; 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 slow.

A member of the Country Life Series series, Canna 'Upton' is available from specialist growers.

Upton view across the river

Nestled along the banks of the River Severn, with views across to the Malvern Hills lies the historic town of Upton upon Severn. The town is famous for its calendar of music festivals, and it's hostelries that supply gigantean quantities of ale during the festivals The town has three major music festivals, with the spring folk festival, and the summer jazz and blues festivals.

The "pepperpot", all that remains of the old church

Cavaliers and Roundheads

Leading up to the Battle of Upton, on August 6th 1651 Charles II had marched south from Scotland into England with an army of scots, also raising large numbers of royalist troops on the way down, the cavaliers were his mounted troops.

By the 22nd he had reached Worcester but the threat of the Parliament army, known as the roundheads because of the shape of their helmets, surrounding him then led him to fortify his position, to do so he sent some of his troops south to defend the river crossing at Upton. 

The Battle of Upton – one of the final battles in the English Civil War took place on 28 August 1651 a few days prior to the final Battle of Worcester, some 10 miles further north. The cavaliers were routed and retreated back north to Worcester, to join the finale of the only English Civil War.

References

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