Breeder: Karl Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy

Garden and forest. / Volume 10, Issue 480. [May 5, 1897, 171-180] Canna, America.-We have just had this Canna in flower, the third in Dammann’s list of so-called “Orchid-flowering” Cannas. It has been something of a surprise to us, for in some way we had formed the notion that it was inferior to Italia and Austria. In our present opinion, however, it ranks above both. The foliage seems to be stronger and tougher, and is of a color much harder to get in Cannas. It is dark bronzy-red, with irregular and inconspicuous dashes of lighter greenish color. The flowering-stem is tall and strong, bearing a large spike of flowers of the form and size of Italia.
They are, however, of a most rare and striking color, a sort of brilliant apricot-red faintly spotted with darker salmon. The centre is canary-yellow, marked with the apricot-red of the body color, very much after the pattern of Austria and Burbank, except that in America the centre is lighter-colored than the wings. The blossoms are richer in appearance than any of the earlier Orchid-flowering Cannas. They do not appear to be better in substance, though; and this seems likely to prevent the general use of all the Canna flacida crosses in outdoor bedding. If it were not for this flabby quality of their blossoms they would soon very largely supersede the French dwarf Cannas for all classes of ornamental work.
University of Vermont. Professor F. A. Waugh.

Breeder: Karl Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy

Lists

Magnificent bronzy foliage marbled with green, having a peculiar lustre , appearing as if varnished; flowers rich orange-salmon, feathered and veined with scarlet. 1/6 each.

Featured in 1908 Outdoor Trials at Wisley
Orchid flowered, orange-red flowers with dark foliage.

America. (Dam.) height of 200 cm. Leaves brown magenta roth. Flowers, very largely, fires roth, magenta-brown flamed, in the Centrum orange.
Breeder: Karl Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy, EU
Note: America. (Dam.) Höhe 200 cm. Laub braun purpur roth. Blumen, sehr groß, feuer roth, purpurbraun geflammt, im Centrum orangefarben.

Italian, or Orchid-like scarlet, orange, dark foliage.

America. – Feuillage verdâtre à reflets pourpres. Fleur énorme rouge feu sablé de pourpre orangé à l’intérieur. Haut. 1 m. 50.
Greenish foliage with reflections of crimson. Enormous flame red flower with orange crimson inside. Height. 1 m. 50.

America, velvety scarlet red flowers, handsome purple foliage.

Mentions name

Lvs dark copper purple; fls red.

Flowers red. Leaves bronze. Tall

Red-flowered with green leaves. Tall.

(M) Sprenger, a partner in the nursery of Messrs Dammann near Naples, crossed C. flaccida with C. ‘Madame Crozy’ to produce C. ‘Italia’. ‘Atlanta’, ‘America’, ‘Austria’, ‘Burgundia’, ‘Allemannia’, ‘Britannia’ followed from the same breeding programme.
Breeder: Karl Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy

(M) This handsome old cultivar has intense scarlet flowers. The petals are long, thin and reflexed giving the bloom a very open, blowsy appearance. The leaves are a dark purplish-green with pronounced darker veins. There is an attractive white farina on the stems, which contrasts well with the deep red flowers. Raised by Karl Sprenger in 1893, it is very similar to ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Ambassador
Breeder: Karl Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy

Red; red blue green

1.8m. Purple foliage. Dark orange-red flowers.

Brightest and deepest scarlet-red, bronze foliage. 105cm.

(‘President Carnot’ x flaccida ‘Le Roi’)
Karl Sprenger, 1893; flowers orient-red (RHS 42A), brown leaves, height over 80 cm. A.M.-R.H.S 1897.
Breeder: Karl Sprenger, Dammann & Co., Naples, Italy

Summary: A heritage plant, tall in height with large, dark leaves and intense scarlet flowers. An architectural plant.
Size: Tall
Flower: Intense scarlet flowers, with long petals, thin and reflexed giving the bloom a very open, blowsy appearance.
Foliage: Large, dark purplish green with pronounced purple veins. There is an attractive white farina on the stems, which contrasts well with the deep red flowers.
Origin: Raised by Karl Sprenger in 1893, it is very similar to ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Ambassador’. We have grown all 3 together for 2 years from many sources and can see no visible differences. The other two have no history of their origins, and it is highly likely that they are only synonyms for Canna ‘America’