That is very sad! I am just beginning to add to my collection also and I am worried about where to get virus free plants. Where did you purchase this plant from?

Canna2Grow,

Thanks so much for welcoming me to the forum and for taking time to answer my questions. I appreciate your knowledge and years of experience tremendously! I am so very grateful for your advice for me as I jump down this rabbit hole.

It is good to know that I shouldn't assume the plant has overcome the virus if symptoms disappear later in the growing season. The systemic I have on hand is Bonide 941 which is acephate based according to the label.

Here are more pics I took of the newly emerging leaves showing disease symptoms.

Also, thank you for suggesting Tony as another resource. Plant Delights sets the bar high as growers go and I have ordered from them in the past, happily. And Alice got in touch and I am elated at the possibility of another order from her!

Thanks!

Nicole

Hi Linda,

I will be glad to let you know where I got my rhizomes from, however I thought I would send it to you in a message to be respectful. I am sure that the company will refund the rhizomes I purchased and hopefully not everything they sell is diseased, as I am sure I was just unlucky with the batch that came to me. I hope. I sincerely hope that this was the case. In the meantime I recommend highly Karchesky's in Pennsylvania , Brian Botanicals in Kentucky, and Plant Delights in North Carolina.

http://www.karcheskycanna.net

http://briansbotanicals.us

https://www.plantdelights.com

All the best,

Nicole

Good luck on your quest, I don't think it's an easy one since I've also shopped around and found most of the regular sources to be infected. Not a big deal if you're growing them as annuals and give them perfect growing conditions, but in my garden....

I haven't planted my rhizomes yet and they overwintered better than I needed them to, if you're interested I have Australia, Tropicana, and maybe a tiny piece of Bengal tiger. I think they're virus free but the Tropicana is so variegated I never know and worry each spring when the first leaves come up. It's been years though and I think if it did have virus it would have showed up in the other plants by now... but still I'm paranoid!

Hi kabob,

Thanks so much for offering me some rhizomes! I will definitely take you up on it! Let me know if I can send anything your way in return. I have perennials and roses in my garden. I also have some clean canna erebus and dahlia tubers. Also, I am a fan of your blog and your garden- very beautiful and creative! I love the combinations of plants you put together. I get a chuckle with your garden humor and I can relate to many successes and dilemmas you write about. I started following your blog when I began craving a tropical garden 2 years ago and your blog came up in a google search. Small world!

Best,

Nicole

What is the name of the blog? I would love to look at it!

Hi Linda,

Katob's blog is called "sorta like suburbia". :)

Nicole

Nicole you made me laugh today, I had just convinced myself a few weeks ago that no one actually reads or pays much attention to my blog. Nice to know you enjoyed it!

I sent out a Houzz message so hopefully you get it. A trade sounds tempting, but someone here already has so many things to plant... but then again when does that ever stop anything?

Maybe it was mentioned before, but I would highly suggest starting cannas from seed to get healthy plants without virus. Canna virus is pretty much everywhere in rhizomes and the only way to start fresh is from seed. This year I started from seed and I'm happy to say that I've grown great healthy seedlings.

The only problem I have is that I started too late so they may not bloom this season but we'll see.

Z

Hi Z,

Your seedlings look great, I know you look forward to watching them grow up and bloom. Maybe next year I will try starting some canna seeds myself :) I believe that companies like Takii are marketing their cannas as virus free because they are started from seed, and this way they can verify that they are sending virus free stock into the market.

Nicole

My seedlings are looking OK now but are kind getting brownish leaves after I transplanted them. I think the problem is it has been humid, wet, and not that hot out so they are slow to adjust.

Z

I'm sure they'll be fine Z man. They don't like root disturbance but bounce back quickly.

Let me know if you want more seeds, the cannova series are really nice and even though I have more tubers than I need I thought I'd try them from seed as well... just because ;).

I think I started them late March and they really took off, but it has been a jungly summer and everything looks a little on the wild side.

do you overwinter your cannas inground?..I covered 2 with a garbage bag full of leaves and they came back..they have seedpods..so you started the seeds inside in March?..will they sprout without grow lights?..

I dig them, and the ones I've left in the ground have not come back... but I never made any attempt to cover them, that might be worth a try!

I had them under a fluorescent light, but I'm sure a windowsill would be fine. There's a post here on cannas from seed, I found them to be very easy. File or sand through the seed coat, soak in water, daily water change until you see a sprout, plant, grow!

Must be some hardy cannas! The ones I left in the ground all died but the banana made it, so kind of the reverse of what you've seen. Maybe I just need to keep trying!

Be careful with the Tropicana you bought. I haven't seen a non-virus one for sale in years around here.

Several years ago I gave my brother a few of the hardy bananas. He's in zone 7 and while mine died out, his did well. You would think he'd be a little more generous with giving a division back, but no... I had to sneak in his garage and steal a pup while he wasn't looking! This was early July. Almost as cool as cannas ;)

Beautiful bananas :-) ..I couldn't pass up the Tropicana cannas..they were so cheap and eye catching..I've stared at the leaves to see if they had a virus but they're so "busy" (so many colors) that I can't tell..if so what will happen?..will they kill my other cannas and bananas?..or just have discoloration on itself?..will they die?..or still live but with infected leaves?..I'm new to cannas..

the virus weakens the plant and leaves fade and dry up earlier. If it's more severe the leaves are distorted and discolored. Sounds like you found a nice one though... it won't spread to the bananas.

I'm not experienced with cannas but I thought they looked good..I'll start a post with a pic soon and get an opinion on their health..glad to know a virus wouldn't spread to the bananas..of course I'm hoping I have healthy plants..

I read once where someone said if they look bad just cut them down to the ground because they will come back more vigorous and eventually look good again. Tried it twice last year and sure enough they were MUCH improved. Only ones I struggle with are the Wyoming... although am beginning to think their leaves are just more variegated or something.

Also... when cutting canna to the ground I shovel some composted cow manure on top.

@Z Man if you just started seeds they can still bloom I started some last year and not only did they bloom but they also had a little rhizome with a little sport coming up by the end of the season needless to say I have so many and I misjudged the weather and the frost got them before I could and to add to your gesture of starting from seed...diseases can also be passed from parent to offspring as well and not all Cannas can be propagated by seed cause some are sterile so keep that in mind.

I read somewhere that canna virus cannot be passed on by seed, only rhizomes..but maybe that's not true?

Z

It may not be true: "Canna" We Save the Canna??? | Longwood Gardens

Wow david, I read that article. That sucks that there is a possibility that certain canna viruses can spread through seed. In any case, I feel there's a much better chance for cannas to look nicer if I grow them from seed myself; I'm too leery of store-bought canna rhizomes.

Z

Buying rhizomes is Very risky...matter of fact it's risky buying full bloom plants as well cause viruses may still be present but unnoticed but I do lean more towards examining full plants I can be in a nursery for an hour or more just looking at new growths coming from plants.. under sides of leaves for parasitic infestations etc...I also run my finger down into the soil to check for moisture level...insects...root danage etc...I try to cross all barriers...they know me either when I walk in or by the time I leave.. lol sometimes I point out things as I see them to employees and we exchange knowledge both ways.

Wow I don't know if I'd have the patience for that or not. At least you can know if you're leaving with a really healthy plant.

Z

Patience is a virtue and it makes all the difference between you making a good decision on your investment or throwing money down the tube and possibly destroying more to go along with it

True, in any case if I decide to grow cannas, I will start them from seed. It's so rewarding to grow from seeds too.

It is...but unfortunately most of the exotic cultivars don't produce viable seed...its really a bummer....it would be Beautiful if they all made seeds

That's too bad. I just like the common dwarf ones...

Really...all the cultivational work people have put into developing all the different varieties and you dont like them lol...joking with you

I know hehe... Well then those same cultivational work people need to hurry up and find the cure for canna virus!