Which Cannas Have Red Leaves?

Foliage Characteristics

• Cannas are related to bananas, and their leaves are strikingly similar. Like banana plants, canna leaves unfurl from a false stem that sprouts directly from a rhizome. The leaves are often paddle-shaped and may be striped or variegated. The flower stalk rises through the false stem created by the curled-up leaves.

Solid-Hued Cultivars

• Hundreds of named cultivars of Canna x generalis exist, and many of them have red or reddish-colored leaves. These include "Black Knight," which has burgundy leaves set off with bright red flowers, and "Wyoming," whose leaves are a darker bronze-red. "Wyoming" has orange flowers. "Red Futurity" has deeply red flowers and burgundy foliage. All of these cultivars are on the small side for cannas, growing to a maximum height of about 3 1/2 to 4 feet.

Variegated Cultivars

• "Cleopatra" is another dwarf cultivar of Canna x generalis that features yellow flowers sprinkled with red dots, and green foliage splashed with reddish markings. "Intrigue" is similar to "Cleopatra" in that the leaves are burgundy and green, but there the similarities end; "Intrigue" is a giant of a cultivar, with flowers stalks that can tower to 8 feet or more. "Eileen Gallo" has dull green leaves that are lit up with bright red veins.

Other Colors

• Green and red are not the only colors that decorate the leaves of canna plants. Some cultivars of this tropical beauty feature foliage in shades of blue-green, purple, orange, yellow and pink. Variegated foliage with multiple colors is a common sight. In fact, Canna x generalis "Inferno" has leaves that are lined with thin strips of green, pink, yellow and orange.