Golden canna
Golden canna is a large, showy, native aquatic plant that typically grows to 4 feet tall. It grows in small stands at the edges of marshes, ponds, and lakes. Except for the northwestern part of the state, it occurs throughout Florida. Like some other aquatic plants, canna has been hybridized by plant fanciers. It can be found even in household yards.
View the herbarium specimen image from the University of Florida Herbarium Digital Imaging Projects.
Extension Publication: Golden Canna: Canna flaccida by Edward F. Gilman, Carl J. Della Torre III, and Lyn A. Gettys (2015)
Large, showy, yellow flowers make canna easy to identify. Three-inch long flowers grow in clusters at the tops of long stalks. The showy parts of canna flowers are actually enlarged stamens (male parts), rather than petals. Golden canna leaves attach in a spiral along the stem. The leaf shape is oblong to elliptic, with tapering bases and pointing tips. The leaves can be 6 inches wide and 2 feet long. The leaves have many lateral veins spreading upward at a sharp angle. The fruit is a large, three-part capsule that is rough to the touch. Seeds are spherical and are brown or black.
