Canna Lily is grown for its root. It's hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11 and stands up to deer. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for hummingbirds and native bees, even though the root is the prize. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.
Canna Lily — the short answer
Canna Lily: grown in zones 7–11, full sun, pH 5–8.
- USDA zones
- 7–11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5–8
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Canna Lily on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether canna lily actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score canna lily against your land's real conditions.
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What Canna Lily is
Canna Lily reaches around five feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Canna Lily
Canna Lily grows in USDA zones 7 through 11. Canna Lily does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
7-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5 - 8
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Minimum Growing Temperature
57.2°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Mature Height
5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Sow directly
Sow canna lily seed straight into the bed — root crops germinate fast and resent transplanting. Give them full sun.
Match the soil
Canna Lily prefers pH 5 to 8 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Pull while roots are young and tender — sweeter than oversized ones. Local Cooperative Extension guides publish timing tables.
Where Canna Lily thrives
Canna Lily is hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 7–11 spans average winter lows from 0°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 7 outright and splits 34 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 7–11·Where Canna Lily growsOpen map →
Where Canna Lily stands, state by state
Canna Lily is rated for zones 7–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 7 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 34 more, and 10 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 7–11
7 states
- Alabama · zones 7b-9b
- Delaware · zones 7a-8a
- District of Columbia · zones 7b-8a
3 of 7 shown
The line runs through
34 states
3 of 34 shown
Canna Lily’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 7–11
10 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- Montana · zones 3a-6b
- New Hampshire · zones 3b-6b
3 of 10 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Canna Lily
Growing guides for canna lily
In rotation planning, canna lily counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — canna lily isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Canna Lily offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Your land is one point inside Canna Lily's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Canna Lily will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether canna lily actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Canna Lily
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Canna Lily in my zone?
Canna Lily grows in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Canna Lily?
Most growers plant canna lily after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Canna Lily need?
Canna Lily needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Canna Lily need?
Canna Lily prefers soil pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Canna Lily attract pollinators?
Yes — canna lily's flowers are a solid nectar source for hummingbirds and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Canna Lily safe for pets?
Canna Lily is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)