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wanna_run_faster

Canna Lily Seeds

wanna_run_faster
18 years ago

Hello.

Does anyone know anything about canna lily seeds? I just purchased a dwarf unnamed incredibly beautiful pink one at walmart and would love to know how to collect the seeds or expect seed pods so that I could maybe trade for other colors

Comments (14)

  • snave77
    18 years ago

    When I had them in Michigan you need to dig them up every fall and you will have alot tubers to plant next spring.
    About seed I'm in the dark about that.
    Hope this will help. They multiply like rabbits !

  • Nurmey
    18 years ago

    Many cannas do not produce viable seeds. After the flowers fade, a pod will develop with 1 to several black, hard seeds the size of a pea in it. Let the pods turn brown and start to crack before you harvest the seeds.

    If yours is a hybrid (and it probably is) it may or may not produce seeds at all and if it does, they will not come true. Still it is fun to grow them from seed so I don't want to discourage you. Good luck!

  • Crafty Gardener
    18 years ago

    I grow my canna from tuber, but have collected the seed this year. A friend has successfully grown the plants from seed and told me how. Here is a website with basically what he told me. There is a Yahoo group about growing canna that has useful information.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Growing canna from seed

  • wanna_run_faster
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Wow, you all are the greatest! Thanks for the info!

  • Hollywog
    18 years ago

    If you do get seeds, you will want to nick them (believe me, this is easiest done with a pair of pliers to hold the seed firmly and a dremel to nick the hard shell) and then soak them in water until you see a white nub coming out of the area that was nicked. This usually takes about 3-7 days. Then plant them in a potting medium or seed starter and keep moist. All of mine bloom the first year!! I got some very interesting surprises, too, due to cross-pollination! I have one that is white with red splashes on it!!! It's very neat. So if you do get some seeds, don't hesitate to plant them to see what you get!

  • joyce112854
    15 years ago

    I just bought some "canna lily seeds" from Parks Seed Company, so apparently, there are canna lily seeds, and no they are not rhizomes or tubers, they are seeds. Now, any suggestions as to how I should plant them when they get here? I live in NW Florida.

  • tmacd
    11 years ago

    How long can you keep the seeds before you plant them?

  • Bryce50
    11 years ago

    I keep the seed from the time I harvest them in the fall until I plant them in early spring. The main thing in storing these seeds....make sure they are kept in a cool place until you plant them. i found that heat can hurt the seeds so I try to keep them around 35-45 in a spare refrigerator in the basment. Also, the idea of cutting through the outer shell is great advice. I do so by using a fine tooth hacksaw blade. Then soak for a few days then plant them keeping the dirt moist.....not soaking wet

  • Bryce50
    11 years ago

    I keep the seed from the time I harvest them in the fall until I plant them in early spring. The main thing in storing these seeds....make sure they are kept in a cool place until you plant them. i found that heat can hurt the seeds so I try to keep them around 35-45 in a spare refrigerator in the basment. Also, the idea of cutting through the outer shell is great advice. I do so by using a fine tooth hacksaw blade. Then soak for a few days then plant them keeping the dirt moist.....not soaking wet. I have planted over 500 seeds over the past 3 seeds and have had 99% success rate in getting them to bloom the first year

  • northerner_on
    11 years ago

    I have been growing Canna Lilies from seed for several years. I find this easier than having to lift and store the tubers. As described above, I let the flowers set seed and watch them as they ripen. Then I winter sow them, no nicking, no soaking in about February and they always germinate. I just grow the plain red ones for humming birds, so I don't know about hybrids. I have planted some hybrid seeds from overseas, they grew but never flowered. I am in the north and our winters give the seeds the required treatment for them to sprout, but I don't know about sowing them in the more southern zones.

  • tdunkle65
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Will the seeds be the same color as the mother plant

  • bossyvossy
    8 years ago

    I was surprised when I first discovered seeds on my cannas and they have been easy to germinate for me (and I'm not big on growing from seed). I don't know if they come true from seed, I think depends on plant. In my case, both were species, so they did come true. Was pleased that they bloomed the very first season so if they don't come true you can always yank and save for a swap without investing too much time or real estate on them. Many of the fancy hybrids are sterile and do not produce seed but I've read of cases where people found seed pods and planted. I can't say what the outcome was. again. worth trying and ditching if it doesn't meet expectations

  • tdunkle65
    8 years ago

    Thanks I do hope I get a few colors I like them all I do hope I can get some blooms the first year any tricks that may help with that

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