Cleopatra Canna Lily

When I look at the Cleopatra Canna Lily, I see two plants put together in one. This canna lily has variegation in its foliage and its flowers. It is simply stunning. 

I purchased these Cleopatra Canna Lily bulbs from Eden Brothers. They call them bulbs, but the correct term for canna lilies is rhizomes. I paid $14.95 for two rhizomes plus shipping. Each rhizome had two to three eyes and I started them in potting soil in a felt pot at the same time as my Pretoria Canna Lilies.

Only one rhizome grew sprouts and became a plant. The other rhizome was too shriveled up to grow. I was fine with that, as I knew I could eventually propagate the one canna lily by dividing the rhizome. This canna lily grew broad green leaves with a swirling stripe of dark purple. The foliage is stunning, but not as stunning as the flowers the Cleopatra can grow. The flowers are usually a mix of red and gold. but mine grew one completely red flower alongside one completely yellow flower.

I watered the Cleopatra twice a week and fertilized them twice a month. I don’t know if I really need to fertilize the Cleopatra because I never fertilize my green leaf cannas, and they grow vigorously. I fertilize it becau“highlight” plants in the front row, so they stand out in a backdrop of musa basjoo and green leaf canna plants. Since it is in the front row, its easy to fertilize.

During winter, the leaves died off, but the plant did not completely die to the ground. There were some stalks with lower leaves hanging on with some green.

Just before spring, new shoots were growing from the rhizome. I was able to propagate these shoots by taking my root cutting shovel and dividing the rhizome with a heavy step on the shovel. I have five Cleopatra Canna Lily plants growing in my tropical garden. Not bad for $14.95. ~tropifornia