Web Review - Modern Canna Cultivars

One of the most perplexing and aggravatingof native canna species. For instance, William
problems in marketing canna lilies or buying cannaBartram reported the discovery of Canna lutea,
rhizomes from the retail market is the practice ofpage 153, of Travels, at Fort Frederica, Ga., in the
renaming canna cultivars of old or new hybridsyear 1773, as growing luxuriantly, but modern
with illegitimate names. One reason merchantstaxonomists have renamed his canna, Canna
rename canna lilies is to offer the public anflaccida. Bartram also reported in his book,
apparent new canna choice to plant in the garden.Travels, pages 424, the discovery of a red
Another reason is to rename a canna that hasflowering, 9ft.- tall canna growing near Mobile, Al,
fallen out of favor to the gardening public. Thisbut Canna indica, named after the American
practice of renaming flowers is not just a recentIndians by William Bartram, has now been
phenomenon, but it began with the Victorian Era.arguably renamed. This confusion has not been
Plant taxonomists also have given manybeneficial to the development and marketing of
arguments about the proper rules for the namingcanna lilies.