Cleopatra Canna Lily

A true botanical curiosity, Canna 'Cleopatra' captivates the eye with its exotic allure and genetic unpredictability. This fascinating variety offers a unique chromatic spectacle: its large leaves can be entirely green, deep purple, or spectacularly variegated with both shades. The blooms are equally stunning, deploying vibrant yellow flowers often punctuated with red spots, or displaying contrasting bicolor petals. Integrating this plant into your landscape means inviting a living, dynamic work of art that instantly transforms your garden or terrace into a tropical paradise.

Characteristics

• Foliage: Large, smooth oval leaves, featuring a random mix of forest green and purplish-bronze, creating a dramatic contrast.
• Flowering / Stems: Asymmetrical flowers in shades of bright yellow and reddish-orange, carried on erect stems.
• Light: Full sun for optimal coloration and abundant flowering.
• Habit: Upright, robust, and bushy.
• Growth: Fast-growing, reaching between 100 cm and 120 cm in height.
• Soil: Rich in organic matter, well-drained but maintaining constant moisture.
• Temperature: Hardiness zone 8 (must be overwintered indoors in colder climates).
• Resistances: Good tolerance to intense heat and high humidity.

Use

• Types of use: Ideal in containers (thriller plant) for balconies, or in mass plantings to create a focal point in a flower bed.
• Decorative benefits: Provides an imposing vertical structure and a burst of tropical colors from mid-summer until the first frost.

Maintenance

• Watering: Water regularly to keep the soil uniformly moist, especially during heatwaves. Do not allow the potting medium to dry out completely.
• Fertilization: Fertilize every two weeks with a potassium-rich fertilizer to support rapid growth and flowering.
• Pruning: Remove faded flowers (deadheading) to encourage the appearance of new flower buds.
• Planting: Plant rhizomes after the last risk of frost, approximately 10-15 cm deep.
• Winter Protection: As soon as the first frost blackens the foliage, cut the stems, dig up the rhizomes, clean them, and store them in a cool (5-10°C), dry place in peat moss or vermiculite.