In zone 5, I'd wait and sow around January if you have a nice sunny south facing window in 1 gallon pots. They don't mind being rootbound so by the time it's safe to plant them outside they will be rarin to go.

X

thanks! i decided to plant just a few this morning, just to see how they grow... i saved the other half for january :-)

Now?...January...? I wouldn't start them before late April/May at the earliest! They grow super fast after you nick the seedcoat, presoak, and plant. When you soak the nicked seed, the white root comes out within a few days. The seeds put out about an inch of growth every few days under lights. You'll need a lot of indoor space to keep them until you can plant them out. They get planted outside when the soil warms up in June, otherwise they'd rot (especially in your zone). Remember, these are tropical plants. Good luck.

What various colors does anyone have? I really like that reddish-pink (as I see it) one. Anyone have some seeds?

Garuda,

I have some fresh seeds collected from Canna City of Portland that I could send you for a SASE. Please email me if you are still interested.

Rokal

What about in my warmer climate?? Could I start some now... I've got a "greenhouse"... I'd really like to start some seeing as my golden retrievers just destroyed my brand new Cleopatra cannas after 3 hours in a pot... I am devastated... so I'd like to get some new ones started, let me know if you think it's warm enough... also, if anyone has any seeds from Cleopatra I'd really like to trade or even purchase, I'm just so upset... Some nice trader sent them to me and my dogs took care of them... :(
Brittany