I see no evidence of virus. But, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Grant,

The canna
virus issue became widespread almost 20 years ago but mostly unrecognized. Our
most esteemed virologists were still separating fact from fiction 10 years ago
and the process is still a work in progress but much has been accomplished. The
primary concern now is producing virus indexed plants of some of our truly great
heritage cultivars and controlling the spread of the disease into our existing clean
plants.

Your canna
could prove to be virus free or it could carry an infection that is not readily
displayed at this time. I do have some concern with the washed out color and
the transition veinal areas showing some mottling. This often is caused by a
viral infection. This is what makes visual confirmation of a viral infection so
difficult. Low viral load or one of the more minor viral infections “might” be
involved.

If you have
other healthy cannas, you may choose to grow this one somewhat removed and
control sucking insects.

Good luck,

Kent

IF my 1 gallon Tropicanna was infected, it is not showing any signs of it. It grew like crazy, putting on 7-10 new growths, foliage shows no odd markings, and it flowered great on that first lead. The plant as purchased had one lead under 2' tall and one 4" start. Next year will tell more. It was potted in an official gold and black Tropicanna plastic pot with wide show label on stake. Other local home improvement sources only had the more expensive 2 gal size. I waited until late June? to get it when most were gone and got 25% off.

I was really waiting to take off. I was generous with a slow release pellet 10-10-10 fertilzer and was rewarded. I'm going to risk adding a 'Tropicanna Black' = 'General Eisenhower' this year. I'll wait until they are in the sun a month or so, to see if pot/water stress helps indicate any sign of virus. I ordered 6 other canna from good sources and will keep them isolated until I can study them a little. These include some large forms such as 'Russian Red', C. musifolia (green form and a red ribbed) to add foliage drama and 'Intrigue' for accent.

Canna are related to Banana's. And I'm not sure whether or not they can share viruses. My hardy Musa basjoo looks very healthy. I've ordered hardy Chinese Golden Lotus (Musella lasiocarpa) seed. And I've ordered Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' from a virus free claimed tissue culture source. The latter of these and Brugmansia will be among the plants I'll overwinter inside.

A Canna 'Australia' was next to my 'Tropicanna' and did great also. That's a 8-9' tall Joe Pye 'Gateway' behind in a tub sitting in 4" of water in the bog section of the pond. It didn't fill out as much as usual and looks potbound, so will bump it up this year.

My Basjoo was from Hirt's as a ~6" start in a 4" pot. The crown hit over 4' in one summer and it has a few starts too, many larger than my original purchase. The photo below shows a stressed plant, due to late season weather with temps under 40 F. It is still in ground, now trimmed and tent tarped for winter, for a fast 2017 start. Should have a nice little grove there (and bigger cane Golden Vivax Bamboo behind) by this fall! (click photo to view)

Near the Cannas, I'm testing two hardy Ginger Hedychium varieties (mulched and in ground too) to see if I can get decent flowering. Many grow well here but H. 'Tara' is supposed to be obe if the few that flower well here. However, just to hard headed, I'm testing 'Dr Moy' and 'Elizabeth'. I found them locally, the leaves looked healthy even in late fall, when I found them on close out ... you guessed it ... on sale. Hey anyone have a 'Tara' to trade?

As the beds fill in, I'll thin out what doesn't perform well. I we so look forward to warming weather, with subtropicals adding interest to our northern garden, and Brugmansia fragrance wafting by ... and over the cedar fence ... confusing our neighbors.

Did I mention there's 150 crocus, 50 Hyacinth, and 30 Poet's Narcissis now hiding in the ground already? And the Sarcococca humilis ground cover and Daphne by the front entrance are showing buds? And firely orange Witch Hazel 'Jelina' buds started unfurling a couple days ago?

The fun just started ...

My Wife likes to read a book in a hammock after work on summer nights. And as dusk comes put down the book and enjoy tropical scents ... Brugmansia, Datura, Nicotinia, Stock and will try Four O'Clocks and Moonflowers (a morning glory). I have a little Moonlight garden design envisioned for her this summer, with surprize whites.

Gary, It sounds lovely. I have a lot of cannas though I never knew about virus and now I will check them out this summer. What do you all do with all of the babies they make?

then turned into this

magnificent

New yard for me, first and my first sunny yard so I can grown them. So not there yet. Will supply family and neighbors first. The latter will feel it a gift. I'd also do it to reduce potential jealousy and to promote them to beautify our circle*. Trading potential is also then possible, if I trust the stock I'm growing.

Luckily have gotten sensitive plant stock only recently from sources claiming virus free stock. I try to get Canna and related family Banana stock from groups that use in house tissue culture tecniques. Florida Hill is one example.

* in prior house we were known as the Hydrangea House by our neighbors. I can't tell you how many hydrangea we gave away. The 7' Lilium Conca D'Or added fragrance to our experience. There were Hosta and Hellebore along the front forest garden entrance.

I learned A LOT about shade gardening there

and now about sun gardening and how to create and then capitalize on the shade I have.

We have alot of Hummingbirds here, including the big dark green "Pacific" that stays here naturally year round. So I have quite a focus on plants that we both like.

That's a good idea! I have been growing Bengal Tiger, Tropicana and Australia for so may years now...well, you can imagine how many of each I have now. I tried some others but many did not perform well in this sun and wind. Thanks for the suggestion to give to neighbors, such as they are in this farming community. I hate the idea of throwing them away.

What works for us it to print a free to good home sign with description and growing directions. We tape it on the pots with plant tag inside too and put on our street on Thursday. The are always gone by Saturday evening. And then you hear stories months or years later anout how much people like them. Pay it forward ...

In the summer, we go through likely a quart of nectar per week for the Hummingbirds. There are at least 3 species that visit, one in orange red or green. The large Pacific is the only one here in winter months.

This is how we feed Hummingbirds, when below freezing, that stay here in winter. Nectar never freezes (down to 17 F nights noted so far). Nor does the feeder feel feel much warmed, even at 50 F.

My summer H'bird feeding goals use plant ideas, such as like these and many others. This is a 4' Nicotiana alata growing last summer it bloomed until frost. They grow FAST got locally in a 4" pot thst spring. Will grow from seed this year.

To ideas like Lonicera 'Scentsation' and Clematis 'Jackmanii' shown grown together and now positioned on our Gazebo entrance to do it for us, starting this summer (photo and idea from internet)

Clematis 'Niobe' and one of the two 1 quart size feeders we run in the summer l, also on the gazebo. The Clematis was tub planted until I could install it later. Did fine. There's also a Poet's Jasmine on the other side of the gazebo too.

Shared beauty is worthwhile

Great virus comments thx. Some years before production of Lilium slso had problems in the Netherlands. Pioneers early in any new field risk challenges.

With large widespread growing fields, high production density of related plants both in fields and underglass, and worldwide distribution network, they are an amazing testing ground for plants and risk scenario.

I can remember landing in the early morning, on a red eye flight to Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. It looked as if 1/3 to 2/3 the surrounding land area in places was underglass, with large brightly lighted greenhouses!

During that trip my business took me on a tour of a large beautiful sprawing greenhouse complex designed by 'Agrisystems'. Inside was a track guided robotic system to place, let grow, and collect trays filled with potted plants. It took them directly to trucks in their attached shipping process center.

The sole focus of this complex was to just grow out cuttings for a few weeks, before they were distributed throughout Europe.