Canna ‘Cleopatra’

Canna ‘Cleopatra’ is a strange and bizarre plant. So unique that no two specimens are alike. Each plant forms highly variable and unstable chimeras of its own. The first bizarre feature: the genetics of this selection can produce two forms of plant, this cultivar having two sets of chromosomes. The first model that can be obtained has large burgundy-brown leaves and produces a prolific bloom of orange-red flowers. The leaves of the other model are green, with random chocolate-brown spots that can continue onto the flower stems. The highly variable pattern of this second plant’s flowers is composed of brilliant red, yellow and white. Sometimes this chimera, less floriferous than the other form, can also produce orange-red flowers. This plant offers an ever-changing show of seasonal growth. The height of canna ‘Cleopatra’ can vary from 1.2 to 2 m (4 to 6 ft.). This is not a recent selection, but is being reintroduced to the market by cultivation fabric because it is difficult to find in garden centers. It is a plant of choice for modern gardens, both in pots and in flowerbeds.