I am surprised at your experience, Karen. I have WS Canna seeds two years in a row and both were successful. I had about 50% germination with no soaking or nicking and perhaps it would have been better if I had done some pre-treatment. I wonder if it depends on the varieties sown. Mine were seeds I collected in Barbados and China, a little different from the varieties we regularly see here in the nurseries.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions everyone! I have forgotten to look at this post for some time. I usually spend most of my time in other garden forums such as "Tropicalesque", "Palms", "Far North" and "Utah gardening". Bearstate, I totally agree, cannas always look their best in clusters or large groups. You get that "shock value" of bold color in one spot. Larry, I wish I remember the name of the tall red cannas in the back with the burgundy leaves, but I don't remember! I know some of the shorter ones in that group are "Black Knight", but I don't remember what the really tall ones are. Sorry. In the second picture, the tall plants behind the flowering cannas are canna musafolia, or commonly known as banana canna. This grouping isn't the best picture of them because they were planted late (mid may). I had others planted that were much taller and better looking, that I planted earlier and gave more fertilizer to. If you happen to start the banana cannas inside in pots in March, if you transplant them outside and give them good sunlight, soil, water and fertilizer, you can get them to grown huge leaves and shoot up to 8-10 feet high in a good season. A lot of people mistake them for banana plants. They certainly grow alot quicker. The tubers on these plants can get quite large.

I am very excited to be growing 2 new Cannas. The first was grown from seeds I got from a Botanic Garden in China in January. It is a beautiful yellow Canna, just about 2.5 feet tall. I planted the seeds and have one plant, which I am growing in a large pot. I'm looking forward to the blooms. The second one is a bit taller, which was started from seeds I got in Barbados. I remember the flower was red, but the foliage was variegated and it was about 3 feet tall and rather 'bushy'. Of course I don't know if it will come true. I am also growing the tall ( over 5 feet) red ones against my fence.

David, Unfortunately without seeing your rhizomes we can only make “guess-timations”. Being stored simply “bare root” in a bag does not prevent dehydration. Severity is primarily dependent on temperature, duration and size of individual rhizome. Assuming there remains viable meristematic tissue you need to re-hydrate these rhizomes as soon as possible. You may try to soak the rhizomes in a shallow pan on water for a couple of days than plant in warm moist planting soil. Keep these rhizomes moist and warm. Hopefully you will see initial swelling at grow points. If or when growth begins you may then replant in containers or choice of location. If nothing develops within a couple of weeks consider a lesson learn and move on. Good luck and let us know how things turn out. Kent