Canna lily

Canna lilies are bold tropical perennials that grow from thick underground rhizomes, sending up paddle-shaped leaves and spikes of large, satiny flowers in reds, oranges and yellows. Native to the American tropics, they have been planted and naturalised worldwide in warm, damp climates, including the Azores where they often escape into roadsides and gardens.

• The showy 'petals' are actually modified sterile stamens called staminodes, not true petals.
• Canna seeds are so hard and round they were once used as shotgun pellets, earning the name 'Indian shot'.
• The rhizomes of some cannas are grown as a starchy food crop, sold as achira or Queensland arrowroot.

Care
Give it full sun, rich moist soil and regular watering in summer, and lift or mulch the rhizomes where winters bring hard frost.