Canna 'Musifolia'

nown as Achira in its native habitat, Canna musifolia is a unique species of Canna lily that is grown for its edible starchy tubers in parts of South America. If you’re less interested in eating this plant, it makes a phenomenal ornamental in the garden, growing much larger than any other Canna species or variety. As the name suggests, these can grow to be 8 to 10 feet in height with banana-like leaves. A must have for the tropical garden! If you live in a region with cold winters, these bulbs can be dug up in late fall and stored over winter much as other Canna lilies, making them a viable annual plant. Cold hardy to USDA zone 7b, or to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Canna musafolia was once thought to be a species. It is now believed to be an earlier hybrid. The flowers are very small and red it rarely flowers for me in zone 6 due to the shorter summers. The main attraction to this canna is the foliage which resembles a banana leaf. Each leaf can be around 2 feet long and almost 1 foot wide. It is also one of the largest cannas I have seen growing to 15 feet if in the right situation and long enough season. My plants usually reach 10 to 12 feet. Each leaf has a narrow maroon ring around the edge of the leaf and the petioles are maroon in color. The rhizomes area also very different than most canna varieties. Canna musafolia has large bulky rhizomes that are closely connected and compact. Foliage: Large banana like leaves with a maroon edge Flowers: small red flowers held high Height: 10 to 15'

A huge canna that gets to 12' or more, very dramatic, vigorous, big banana like leaves.