Canna Hybrids Keepers and Trash???

Well this maybe a fairly long thread. The idea is to post pics of my canna hybrids from this year and see what you think. I like to hear the negative on the plants just as much as the possitive so don't feel as if you should only say positive things. With cannas I can make a thousand hybrids a year so we need to be pretty picky when we chose. But then again I have odd taste in plants and usually like the more unusual rather than conventional beauty which we see so much of.

I hope to post a pic a day with a number if you have something to say about a certain canna put the number next to it so I can known which one you are refering to. THANKS

Already forgetting here is another pic of the seedling. The flowers are extra large. The color is a bit odd and almost a magenta. Maybe a step closer to purple?? Or still just to far out of reach.
Will call this one Canna # 1

Well, so far I like #1, just for that big bloom and that jolt of hot fucshia! I can almost picture a clump of these just drawing your eye to it from across the yard! No wimpy pastel pink there!

LOL Sue, another gaud gal. We think alike.

I think # 1 is beautiful....a real attention getter !! I like it bright !!
Margo

The color is gorgeous!! And what a full bloom.

Very nice!




This message was edited Oct 25, 2005 12:24 AM

Number one is fantastic if that is the true color (sometimes digital cameras show colors inaccurately). I like it.

thats the right color. I know what you mean about color changing on cameras if I have a flash it really can change the actual coloring. I figure I will get some challenges over the purple looking one but that is its actual coloring. I do brighten up with photo shop if the pics are dark but I do not try to inhance them but make them look more like what they look like in person. Sometime that is very hard to do I have a few that as so bright I cannot get good pics of them they just look like glowing bloobs of color.

Oh I do understand that. My older Sony Cybershot just cant handle the bright reds and oranges no matter what I do to the settings. However, my Sony Cybershot DSC717 can handle anything. I am fixing to replace my older one. The DSC is large and while it takes awesome pics, it is too bulky for a lot of things. Sony has a nice portable 7.2 out that I am looking at.

I like it. It's definitely something I'd buy.

Bwilliams, would it be possible to provide a tiny bit more info along w/ each pix? I think it would help us provide you w/ better input as to what is a keeper/trash. For example, is hybrid a dwarf? self-cleaning? etc, etc.

I would go gaga for the Canna #1 if it were a dwarf. Regular or tall, not so much.

thanks.

I don't particularly care for canas but I'd buy this one and your purple one, dwarf, regular or tall. (Being self-cleaning would definitely be a huge plus!)

I agree about putting more info with the plants. The canna #1 does seem to self sheed. And so far it has not grown tall but it not yet mature at all.


As for this canna #2 in the pic below. This I call pink flamingo it is a tall grower to about 7 to 8 ft tall with tons of flowers. Main problem is tons of seed pods. It does sheed fairly well and makes a fairly nice back drop for other plants. I will see if I have a close up of the flowers which are not large but interesting with white streaking.

I love the cannas, but I have no direct sun. Are there any that perform well in partial sun? I especially like the shorter ones.

Color of #1 and #2 is great. I prefer pinks and purples. Not much for the reds and yellows.

Brian,
I wonder what would happen if you mix #1 with the purple/wine one on your other canna post? Maybe that would bring it closer to a bright purple.

#1 is pretty, nice large flower.
#2 is also pretty - large and profuse with flowers: cool!

I plan to do a lot of crossing with the purple looking canna. I am sure to mix the pink with it.

Canna #3
I call this one Canna Momawanda. This is semidwarf around 4 ft tall blooms heavily with flowers above the foliage and is self cleaning. Flowers are medium size and a big roundish or fat looking.

Oh my gosh!!!!! I want it!!!

What he said!

yeah!

Brian, the cannas are gorgeus! Love #1! Too many purple-"ish" cannas bloom orange (yuck) and too many "pinks" are salmon. Love the TRUE pinks you're adding to the world!

Isn't he a tease...lol! They are all outstanding!
:) Donna

My vote is still #1.......great color and not too tall. They're all pretty. I agree with MerryMary about the colors.

BTW, Brian, was it you that posted a pix of a true white canna? Would love to find one of those. Also, there's a varigated white....not yellow and green varigated....more cream and white. Wish I could find one of those.

Barbara

This message was edited Nov 13, 2005 9:09 PM

I like them all, but # 1 is my FAV :)) Sharp foliage, too, love the rich darkness of the leaves.

I have been slacking on this thread a bit. Good think it was brought back up. I am glad many of you enjoy the pics most of the plants shown will not be released till spring or next year. Still it is good to see whats out their.

While breeding cannas I have found orange to be extremely common for me. I have come up with all sorts of orange flowers. From red orange to yellow orange and pink orange just about every combination of orange that can be imagined are showing up. Many of them maybe nice ot most but it has to be pretty interesting for me to pick them out from the thousands of other orange flowers. This one I think is extremely bright and stuck out from the others. This is more of a yellow orange and is extremely bright when fully flowering.


This message was edited Nov 14, 2005 9:43 PM

Brian,
Are there any cannas with white and green foliage? I saw your pick of white flowered canna and have put the word out to family for seeds from ecuador:) your pic above reminds me of a tiger skin imposed on a butterfly - so very pretty!

Anna, I just purchased a "Reign of Stuttgart" that has green and white foliage.. It arrived this week and it is truly white, not cream or yellowish. The foliage is beautiful. Margo

Ok Brian....I'm thinking you should work on a stuttgart leaf, with the Queens Mums Hot Pants pink bloom you created, or the purple-ish one you are also working on...the combo would be amazing! I'll keep checking my mailbox, to see if you send me the first.... ;)
MerryMary

I have tried breeding with stuttgart many times. It does produce seed but very seldom. I manly try to get a dark leaf cross with it. Would be nice to have a tricolor variegation. This I am sure is not what you asked for but i bet you will find it interesting this is a new seedling I am working with. I cannot tell you much just that it shows a lot of promise. I would think the flowers to be pink or red but really no idea forsure.

This is the first time I have shared the photo ever. LOL I hate to count the chickens before they hatch but I am sure you will find it interesting.

That is very nice! It looks like sunlight hitting it just right and I had to re-read your description and look at the picture again. That is way cool! Just the foliage alone is worth plenty.

Ohhh, gorgeous!!!! It really does look like the sun is shining on that leaf making it sparkle. Very beautiful !! Happy Thanksgiving everyone and God bless, Margo

Wow Brian.....and although I certainly understand your apprehension to share too early, the rest of us really LOVE the sneak peak, so please bear with us anxiously awaiting your new babies. I love the tri-color leaf...Imagine that with a purple bloom or the deep pink bloom you have with the outline shadow of purple! Wow! I do, infact, find the things you're creating, very interesting (and impressive)
:)MerryMary

Brian-PS-what about a "Phaison" Tropicana or Sunburst cross with the Stuttgart? The foliage and bloom of both are fabulous, and if you could get the white addition from the stuttgart....hmmmm?.......maybe?
:)

Your new strutt is looking good, Brian!
:) Donna