CANNA LILIES

Introduction:
Canna lilies are wonderful, flowering herbaceous
perennials for gardens in Alabama. They grow quickly to
form a handsome, large-leaved screen or an island of
tropical-looking foliage on stems from 2 to 10 feet tall.

The Plant
Cannas, or canna lilies, look like banana trees without
trunks. They actually are kin to bananas and gingers,
and their wide, furled leaves come out of thick,
multiple-eyed rhizomes, just like their larger, edible
cousins.

However, flowers are the main reason cannas are so
highly prized. The plants are large tropical and
subtropical perennial herbs with broad, flat leaves that
grow out of a stem in a long, narrow roll and then
unfurl.

The flower shoot grows up through the tightly furled
leaf bases or false stems. The flowers are typically red,
orange, or yellow or any combination of these colors.
The leaves typically are solid green, but some cultivars
have brown, maroon, bronze, or green leaves variegated
in white, cream, pink, or red.

Landscape Uses
Three characteristics of cannas make them an
excellentchoice to brighten any sunny spot in the
landscape: Flower color, height, and foliage. Cannas are
among the few plants that offer both long-lasting color
during the summer months and low maintenance.
cannas can be used successfully in mixed borders,
massed in garden beds by themselves, or planted in
small groupings, tucked between small to medium
shrubs or in moist areas. Cannas are magnificent when
planted in masses.



















Flame of the forest

Origin and distribution
Flame of the Forest is a native of Madagascar. It was
discovered by botanist Wenzel Bojer in 1820 who then
introduced it to Mauritius. Since then, the tree has been
planted in most of Africa and Asia, including the Southeast
Asian region. Growing in warm humid areas from sea level up
to 1000 m in altitude, it can also grow in areas where there is
no frost, such as South Florida and South California, the United
States.

It was introduced into countries in Southeast Asia in the early
part of the 19th century and into Singapore as early as 1840. In
Singapore, it is grown in parks, open spaces, and by the roads.
However, it is not extensively planted as a roadside tree, as its
tiny leaflets and frequent leaf shed can present some cleaning
problems. Examples of its location in Singapore today include
Fort Canning Park and Beach Road, near the Gateway building.

Description
The Flame of the Forest is a medium to large-sized tree and
can reach up to 20 m in height. It has a short trunk, grey and
smooth bark and rootlike buttresses. Its crown is broad and
umbrella-shaped, consisting of fine, delicate, lacy foliage.
Leaves are bi-pinnate compound, 20 to 60 cm. long, with 9 to
24 pairs of opposite side-stalks and numerous small leaflets.
The leaflets are small and oblong, 8 to 10 mm long and 3 to 4
mm wide. Flowers are bisexual, large and showy. Growing in
dense clusters and sometimes covering the entire crown, the
flowers are flame-coloured or scarlet and faintly scented.



characteristics:
The flower is made up of the calyx: five free sepals which are
green on the outside and crimson inside; corolla : five bright
red petals, one of which has a prominent white patch streaked
with red; ten stamens which are red with a white base and a
green ovary. Fruits are long pods, dangling down sword-like
from the branches. When the fruits mature, they split open into
two halves to disperse elongated, hard seeds.

The Flame of the Forest is a semi-deciduous tree. Leaves
normally fold at dusk but remain spread if illuminated by street
lamps. Leaves are shed rather irregularly, often different
branches at different times, but sometimes all the branches at
the same time. Flowering occurs after a prolonged dry season.
After a leaf drop, the tree remains bare for several months.
With the coming of wet season, new leaves are produced with
new flowers, resulting in the characteristic scarlet, orange to
crimson blooms. The attractive flowers can remain on the
crown for several weeks.

Usage
The Flame of the Forest is often described as a spectacular and
beautiful tree when it is in full bloom. Thus, it is planted as an
ornamental tree in parks, gardens and along roads. In addition,
its broad umbrella-shaped crown makes it a good shade tree.
Its bark is supposed to be a febrifuge (cooling drink to prevent
fever).