Canna glauca L., commonly known as the Florida Canna, is a hardy, wetland perennial herb of the Canna family, native to South America and the West Indies. It is widely distributed in the southeastern United States and cultivated in both the north and south of China. The plant thrives in marshes, lake edges, and riverbanks, prefers sunlight, and fears strong winds. Water Canna is an excellent material for garden landscaping and urban wetland scenery, capable of absorbing harmful heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium, showing great potential in wastewater treatment and ecological restoration projects.
Roots elongate, plant height 1.5-2 meters; stems green. Leaves lanceolate, up to 50 cm long, 10-15 cm wide, acute at the tip, gradually narrow at the base, green, covered in white powder, edge greenish white, translucent; racemes sparsely flowered, solitary or branched, slightly above the leaves; bracts round, brown, flowers yellow, no spots; sepals ovate, 1.2 cm long, green; corolla tube 1-2 cm long; corolla lobes linear lanceolate, 2.5-5 cm long, 1 cm wide, erect, outer whorl of stamens 3, ovoid-oblong, 6-7.5 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, entire; labellum narrow, ovoid-oblong, top 2-lobed, middle curled, pale yellow.
The stamens are ovate-sagittate, acute at the tip, and inwardly curled; the style is narrowly lanceolate. The capsules are ellipsoid, measuring 3.5 cm in length. Flowering period: summer and autumn.
Water lilies are robust and adaptable, thriving in sunny conditions and fearing strong winds. They are ideal for moist and shallow water environments, growing well in fertile or sandy soils. The optimal growth temperature ranges from 15-28°C, with temperatures below 10°C不利于 growth. They have no dormancy period in their native habitat, blooming throughout the year. In cold northern regions, they enter dormancy during winter and require a greenhouse for overwintering protection.