Canna Land

More Cleopatra Pictures

Canna 'Cleopatra' flowers

C. 'Cleopatra' has variably marked flowers

C. 'Cleopatra' with red streaks

Red Dazzler In Bloom

The flowers of 'Red Dazzler' are huge - just like the rest of the plant.

I am so excited to see Red Dazzler bloom. The flowers are not a true red as the name would lead you to believe. The color is more of a reddish-orange.

Bangkok Is Ready For Her Closeup

Canna 'Bangkok' has yellow flowers with a white stripe down the center of the petals.

Bangkok's flowers are very beautiful and delicate. Unfortunately they do not hold up well under the desert sun. I felt fortunate to catch this lovely flower in a pretty good light. The foliage is a different story: it always looks great! I can understand now why some gardeners cut off the flowers and just grow Bangkok for the vigorous and dramatic foliage. Not that I would do that, mind you!

Bangkok has numerous synonyms - different names for the same plant. They include 'Striped Beauty', Christ's Light', 'Nirvana', 'Minerva' amd 'King of Siam'.

Canna Land Claims New Territory

Make way for the pathway garden!

Unsightly overgrown bushes have been removed from the narrow, east-facing side of the house. My son heroically removed these obstacles to progress. I am planning a pathway garden that will include cannas and other lovely things.

Red Dazzler Buds

Buds of C. 'Red Dazzler'

Yellow Futurity Buds

Leaf and buds of Canna 'Yellow Futurity'

A Broad-Shouldered Canna

Canna 'Red Dazzler'

Red Dazzler is big in every way. I love this picture looking down the center of this canna. It's like a mini tropical universe.

Cleopatra Blooms!

Canna 'Cleopatra'

These are the first blooms of Cleopatra. They are lovely bright yellow with red spots.

State of Confusion

Canna 'Cleopatra' buds

The buds of Cleopatra are randomly colored green, purple or both.

Chocolate Stripes

Canna 'Cleopatra' foliage with characteristic brown stripes

Cleopatra is a chimera. That means that there are two different sets of genes within the plant tissue that cause the striped leaves and harlequin flowers. Lovely brown and green leaves are a predictor for lovely yellow and red flowers.

Cleopatra is unstable, so that no two flowers may look alike. Completely green shoots will create solid yellow flowers. Brown shoots will have all red flowers.