Herb: Louisiana Canna


Latin name: Canna glauca


Family: Cannaceae (Canna Family)



Edible parts of Louisiana Canna:

Root - cooked. The starch can be extracted and used as an arrowroot. The arrowroot is obtained by rasping the root to a pulp, then washing and straining to get rid of the fibres. Very young tubers can be eaten cooked, they are sweet but fibrousy. One report suggests that the fruit may be edible but gives no further details. As far as I know the fruit is a dry capsule.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
August to
October

Habitat of the herb:

Margins of marshes, swamps, ponds, and wet ditches, 0--100 metres.

Propagation of Louisiana Canna:

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow February/March in a warm greenhouse at 20°C. Plant the seeds 2 - 5cm deep in individual pots. Scarifying the seed can speed germination, especially if the seed has not swollen after being soaked. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 9 weeks. Grow the plants on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of the root clump as the plant comes into growth in the spring. Each portion must have at least one growing point. Pot up the divisions and grow them on in the greenhouse until they are well established and then plant them out in the summer. Root cuttings.

Cultivation of the herb:

Margins of marshes, swamps, ponds, and wet ditches, 0--100 metres.

Medicinal use of Louisiana Canna:

None known

Known hazards of Canna glauca:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.