Canna gather more than 20 species in the Cannaceae family. They all come from the warmer parts of the 2 Americas. Sometimes called Indian shot, become its immensely hard seeds are used in India as bullets.
The Vietnamese name is Chuoi hoa, for its leaves look the same than the banana tree.
Canna
Large tropical herbaceous living several years with a rhizomatous root system. The broad, flat leaves grow out of a stem in a long, narrow roll and then unfurl. The flowers are asymmetric and composed of three sepals and three petals. Typically red, orange, or yellow, or any combination of those colors. The wild species often grow to at least 2–3 m, while the cultivars grow smaller about 60cm. Canna can become invasive in warm regions where it has been introduced, because of the multiplication of the rhizomes. The main pollinators of the flowers are bees, hummingbirds, sunbirds, and bats.
This plant is very popular in the tropical parks and gardens, because of its resistance to climate variation, evergreen luxurious foliage, low maintenance need, benefits for the biodiversity and stunning flowers. Its speed of growth was recognized on the late 18th century by Europeans and led to the plant’s popularity for creating an exotic atmosphere in parks and gardens.
In Vietnam the leaves are typically solid green, but some cultivars can be found with deep purple, brownish red, or even variegated yellow-white leaves.
Commercially, cannas are grown for their tubers, full of starch for industrial production, as animal food, and sometimes as human food, like in making gluten-free pasta. The shoots may also be eaten. Mature foliage is fibrous enough to be used as a raw material in papermaking. It's hard seeds have found a variety of uses, including for jewellery, in musical instruments, and as shot.
Cannas are competitive wetland plants that are adapted to climates and habitats with extreme seasonal variations in moisture. Most typically die down to underground tubers in dry conditions, growing extremely rapidly when the soil moisture content rises again.
The Canna does not require specific care in the tropical climate. As long as the soil gets enough humidity (planting near a water surface, or watering during the dry season), and retain moist. For the high variety, it is better to stake them discreetly to keep them upright during the storms. For a tidy aspect of the garden, some people remove the flowers as they fade. Under the cold climate, in autumn, after frost kills the foliage, the plant is cut to the base. Rhizomes are carefully lifted from the soil and put in a box with moss, spacing so that none are touching. Then stored in a dry temperate shed during winter, before replanting in the spring.