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I received this rhizome and planted it, the label was impossible to read but may have the word "superb" in it. Since planting it has grown beautiful lush leaves and is growing rapidly. I live on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia if that helps at all. We've had heaps of rain, it's very hot at the moment and it seems to be thriving, would love to know what it is to take better care of it. Thanks !

What is this ?

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    A possibility it is a Canna lily (e.g Canna indica) Jan 5, 2021 at 0:58
  • If it is canna, be cautious if you want to plant in the ground. They can spread quickly and are considered invasive in some places. I had two for years that didn't spread far, but they were constrained by a sidewalk.
    – Tim Nevins
    Jan 5, 2021 at 21:50

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Per @Polypipe Wrangler, definitely a Canna. They come in a wide variety of colors which you won't know until it blooms. They do very well in wet locations; they do well in an inch of water in my pond bog. Also do well in drained sandy soil with occasional water.

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If the rhizomes looked like this, then they're canna lilies: enter image description here Note that they're not true lilies because they have rhizomes, not bulbs.

Cannas are very easy to grow in the ground (kind of a "plant it and forget it" plant), but just a little bit harder in containers. According to this site, caring for cannas in pots is quite similar to caring for them in the ground—the biggest difference is that it's easier to over-water them in the pot.

Keep the soil moist until plants are established. As a somewhat tropical specimen, cannas in containers like high humidity and full, hot sun. Deadhead spent blooms and keep soil moist, but not soggy... rhizomes of canna growing in pots multiply quickly and will need division. Thin the rhizomes in the early spring or before storing for winter. Slice the rhizomes into pieces, if desired. As long as there in an “eye” in the portion of a rhizome, a bloom can be expected.

There are two pests that you may need to look into:leaf rollers and Japanese beetles. Neither will kill or seriously harm the plant, but both can disfigure the leaves.

At the end of your growing season, cut down the foliage and discard (to prevent the pests I mentioned above and remove the rhizomes from the pot because they'll need to be split. After splitting, if you live in an area where temperatures are at or above freezing, repot; otherwise, store over the winter and repot in spring (I store mine in an open box in the basement, although there are other ways to store them).

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  • Thanks very much for the advice ! The rhizomes had no purple however. Jan 6, 2021 at 10:32
  • The purple on the rhizomes may be related to cultivar (the ones I have are red). Did the shape of your rhizomes match these (especially the tips, with a little point on them, and the scaly look). I'm assuming that you planted only a little piece of the larger rhizome.
    – Jurp
    Jan 6, 2021 at 14:48

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