Compact Canna

{"key":"canna","name":"Compact Canna","botanical":"Canna × generalis ‘Picasso’","slug":"compact-canna","id":"PLT-CANN-COMP","type":"accents","h":[2.5,3],"w":[2,2],"install":[0.5,0.5],"native":false,"accentGroup":"perennial","accentForm":"canna","light":"Full sun","lightTags":["sun"],"water":"Moderate to high; rich, moist soil with drainage","season":"Warm-season flowers; freeze-damaged foliage is seasonal","care":"Inspect for leafrollers; remove old stems and divide","benefit":"Tropical leaves and spotted flowers at a smaller scale","intro":"Compact canna adds bold leaves and a tropical flower display without choosing one of the very tall canna forms. This guide uses ‘Picasso’, a dwarf selection with green foliage and yellow flowers marked with red spots. Place a small group where its broad leaves can stand out against finer-textured planting.","caution":"Confirm ‘Picasso’ or another specifically sized compact cultivar on the nursery label. “Canna” alone is not a size specification. Leafrollers can damage the foliage, and winter freezes can remove the leafy display.","sizeNote":"The supplier lists ‘Picasso’ at 30–36 inches tall. The 24-inch width in the diagram is a planning illustration, not a verified mature spread or permanent limit: rhizomes can enlarge the clump. The supplier’s 18–24-inch planting spacing should not be mistaken for mature spread. Confirm the final footprint and division plan with the nursery.","site":"Use a sunny Pensacola bed that receives dependable moisture and has room for seasonal maintenance. This plant belongs where you can inspect leaves and remove old stems. Give it space beside a terrace or within a mixed bed, with evergreen companions providing structure after cold weather knocks back the foliage.","uses":["Create a small tropical focal group beside a sunny patio.","Contrast broad leaves with finer foliage in a mixed border.","Add yellow-and-red flowers where they can be viewed up close.","Use a substantial container with drainage and regular watering.","Place behind lower seasonal flowers while retaining access for cleanup."],"checks":[["How much sun?","Full sun supports flowering. A very shaded position can produce a different balance of foliage and flowers than the illustrated sunny planting."],["What water does it need?","Provide consistent moisture and soil that supports vigorous growth. Container plants need their own watering checks; rainfall alone may not keep a large pot evenly moist."],["What damages the leaves?","Canna leafrollers can roll or chew foliage. Inspect regularly and identify the problem before selecting a treatment; simply adding fertilizer will not repair damaged leaves."],["How is the clump managed?","Remove spent stems and damaged foliage as needed. Divide expanding rhizomes when the plant exceeds its allotted space, rather than treating the illustrated width as fixed."]],"faq":[["Are all cannas compact?","No. Some canna selections grow much taller. Match the botanical name and cultivar to the space instead of buying on flower color alone."],["Will it stay leafy in winter?","Do not rely on it for winter screening. Freezes can kill back the foliage, with regrowth dependent on plant condition and winter conditions."],["Is it a low-maintenance evergreen shrub?","No. It is a flowering rhizomatous perennial with a seasonal appearance and hands-on cleanup needs. Use permanent shrubs to establish the garden’s lasting structure."]],"sources":[["UF/IFAS: Cannas","https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/cannas/"],["K. van Bourgondien: ‘Picasso’ dwarf canna","https://www.dutchbulbs.com/products/picasso_dwarf_cannas"]],"unit":"ft","heightLabel":"Typical height","spreadLabel":"Illustrative clump width","heightText":"30–36 in","spreadText":"24 in reference; clump can expand","sizeSummary":"30–36 in high · 24 in width reference","color":"#70815a","bloomColor":"#e5be4c","guideKind":"Flowering + accent plant","eyebrow":"FLOWERS + FOLIAGE / FORM + SEASON","aliases":["Dwarf canna","Picasso","Canna lily","tropical leaves","yellow","red","spotted flowers"],"goals":["color"],"wholeCaption":"Illustrative overall form of Compact Canna. The nursery selection, season and site affect appearance.","detailCaption":"Illustrative foliage and seasonal detail of Compact Canna; confirm the botanical name and selection on the nursery label.","widthReferenceOnly":true,"sizeBasis":"Compact cultivar reference","images":{"context":{"id":"6aa09dc30a603d3b7b27162a","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa09dc30a603d3b7b27162a_landova-accent-canna-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Compact Canna","width":1600,"height":900},"whole":{"id":"6aa09dc332ed5bb55a6be433","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa09dc332ed5bb55a6be433_landova-accent-canna-whole.webp","alt":"Illustrative whole-plant form of Compact Canna","width":1254,"height":1254,"fit":"contain"},"detail":{"id":"6aa09dc380fe7a73c5a06e38","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa09dc380fe7a73c5a06e38_landova-accent-canna-detail.webp","alt":"Illustrative foliage and seasonal detail of Compact Canna","width":1122,"height":1402}},"companions":[{"slug":"caladium","name":"Caladium","title":"Broad-leaf composition","reason":"Caladium can complement the tropical effect in an adjoining, appropriately shaded part of the bed; do not assume identical sun needs.","image":{"id":"6aa093e3e788bb371fe2c981","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa093e3e788bb371fe2c981_landova-accent-caladium-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Caladium","width":1600,"height":900}},{"slug":"big-blue-liriope","name":"Big Blue Liriope","title":"Fine-textured foreground","reason":"Liriope supplies a narrower-leaved foreground with enough separation for the canna clump to expand.","image":{"id":"6aa00228a713a3c64d2d24fb","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa00228a713a3c64d2d24fb_landova-grass-bigblue-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Big Blue Liriope","width":1600,"height":900}},{"slug":"variegated-shell-ginger","name":"Variegated Shell Ginger","title":"Larger tropical backdrop","reason":"Shell ginger can form a much larger background in a suitable protected location; check its full size before pairing.","image":{"id":"6aa093e34a77bcfa50532953","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa093e34a77bcfa50532953_landova-accent-shell-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Variegated Shell Ginger","width":1600,"height":900}}]}