Valbonne

Canna ‘Valbonne’

(Crozy Group)

Origin Vilmorin-Andrieux, France
Height Medium
Foliage Green
Form Branching
Flower Red
Blooming Good bloomer
Flowering July/August/September/October/Until frosts
Tillering Prolific

Canna ‘Valbonne’ is a medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval and cupped shaped, branching habit; flowers are open, self-coloured rose-red, good bloomer, flowers in July until frosts in northern temperate zone, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured pink and purple; tillering is prolific.

References
Vilmorin Catalogue, 1941
(Vilmorin 1933)
Feuillage vert. Fleurs bien ouvertes, rouge de carthame. Hauteur.1 mt. 30

Green foliage. Well open flowers, pinkish red. Height. 1 mt. 30

Van Houttei

Canna ‘Van Houttei’

(Foliage Group)

Origin Lierval
Height Tall
Foliage Dark
Form Upright
Flower Red
Blooming Good bloomer
Flowering August/September/October/Until frosts
Tillering Average

Canna ‘Van Houttei’ is a tall Foliage Group cultivar; green and purple variegated foliage, very large, lanceolate shaped, maroon margin, upright habit; oval main stems, coloured purple; spikes of flowers are erect, self-coloured scarlet, staminodes are small, edges serrated, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer, flowers in August until frosts in northern temperate zone, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white; tillering is average.

Named for Louis-Benoit Van Houtte, 1810-76, a Belgian horticulturalist and politician . Assembled extensive plant collections on travels in South and Central America. Associated with the Jardin Botanique de Bruxelles, 1836-8. In 1839, moved to Gentbrugge, where he founded the Ecole d’Horticulture and the horticultural journal founded Flora des serres et des Jardins de l’Europe.

References
Le Canna, E. Chaté et fils, 1867
1861.
Subtropical Gardening - Robinson 1868
Stems dark-red, vigorous, from 5 ft. to 6½ ft. high. Leaves lance-shaped. pointed, green, rayed and margined with dark purplish-red, 2 ft, to 2½ long. Flowers large, well formed, poppy-red. Rootstocks grey, long, cylindrical. A very handsome and hardy variety.
George Nicholson, The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening, 1888.
(Van Houtte’s). Flowers bright scarlet, large, very abundantly produced. Leaves lanceolate, 2-2½ long, acumminated,, green, rayed and margined with dark purplish-red.
Thompson's Gardener's Assistant, Edited by Thomas Moore, 1892
Robust, 5 to 6 feet in height, clothed with lanceolate green leaves, rayed and margined with deep reddish purple. Flowers large, bright reddish scarlet. It is effective, and stands well in exposed positions.

Variegated Group

¦CannaKansas City

The Canna Variegated Group caters for cultivars with variegated foliage, regardless of what other Group they may belong to. The variegated group is not intended to include cultivars with colour zonation in their flowers,

There are many canna cultivars that have some green and purple variegation, and these are traditionally described as being ‘dark’, and this grouping is for those cultivars that have different colouring or are extreme examples of the green and purple canna trait. 

CannaStuttgart

Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves, and variegated leaves occur rarely in nature, and is a trait normally induced by cultivar mutation.

Other than the green and purple striata, almost all of the variegated cannas are members of the Italian Group, which is derived from the crossing of Canna flaccida with the established Crozy Group. The Italian Group also supplies CannaCleopatra’, which is significant as the only chimera in the canna family.  The exception to the Italian Group trait is CannaStuttgart’, which sometimes reverts to CannaAnnei’ from whence it originated.

CannaBengal Tiger

Variegated plants have long been valued by gardeners, as the usually lighter-coloured variegation can ‘lift’ what would otherwise be blocks of solid green foliage. Many gardening societies have specialist variegated plants groups, such as the Hardy Plant Society’s Variegated Plant Special Interest Group in the UK. Several gardening books which deal exclusively with variegated plants are available.

CannaPhasion

Because the variegation is due to the presence of two kinds of plant tissue, propagating the canna plant must be by a vegetative method of propagation that preserves both types of tissue in relation to each other. The only vegetative method that succeeds with cannas is the division of rhizomes, as other methods such as stem cuttings and bud and stem grafting will fail totally.

See also: Canna Cultivar Groups

Verdi

Canna ‘Verdi’

syns Brighton Orange, Eric Neubert, Eric Newbert, Grand Duc, Saumur
(Crozy Group)

Origin KAPITEYN L.
Height Medium
Foliage Dark
Form Branching
Flower Orange
Blooming Outstanding bloomer
Flowering June/July/August/September/October/Until frosts
Tillering Average
Awards Award of Garden Merit (AGM) 2002

Canna ‘Verdi’ is a medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; bronze foliage, oval shaped, acute apex, maroon margin, branching habit; oval main stems, coloured purple; triangular flower stalks, coloured purple; flowers are open, self-coloured red-orange (32A), staminodes are medium size, edges lightly frilled, fully self-cleaning, outstanding bloomer, flowers in June until frosts in northern temperate zone, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured pink and purple; tillering is average.

Canna ‘Verdi’ Courtesy of Kapityn
References
Canna Handbook, Keith Hayward. Edition 1.06. © September 2000
L Kapiteyn. Medium height. Pale bronze foliage with characteristically narrow leaves. Brilliant flame-coloured flower with open spreading petals. The flame colour effect is accentuated by a little yellow in the throat.
Ian Cooke, The Gardeners Guide to Growing Cannas
(M) A first-class classic cultivar. It has iris-shaped, vivid tangerine flowers with yellow markings in the throat. Together with the bronze-veined leaves, it is a striking combination of foliage and flower. Quite compact. Raised by L. Kapiteyn and widely available.
Rivendell Botanic Garden, List January 2001
Orange red flowers; leaves red, blue and green.
Hart Canna, 2002, Internet January, 2002
See ‘E Neubert’
French Grown Stock
0.5m. Dark leaves. Orange flowers.
KAVB International Canna Checklist, September 2004
L. Kapiteyn; flowers indian-orange (RHS 32A), centre blotched yellow and purple, leaves brown, height over 80 cm.
Claines Canna Collection 2006
Summary: A medium plant with pale-bronze foliage and bright orange/flame blooms.
Size: 100-120cm (3’3″‘-4’)
Flower: Bright orange/flame.
Foliage: Pale bronze.
Awards: Award of Garden Merit, RHS Canna Trials 2002.

Vermilion

Canna ‘Vermilion’

(Crozy Group)

Origin Quality Gladiolus Gardens
Height Medium
Foliage Dark
Form Branching
Flower Red
Blooming Good bloomer
Flowering July/August/September/October/Until frosts

Canna ‘Vermilion’ is a medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; bronze foliage, oval shaped, acute apex, branching habit; round main stems, coloured purple; clusters of flowers are open, self-coloured vermilion, staminodes are medium size, edges lightly frilled, stamen is flecked with gold, style is red, petals red, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer, flowers in July until frosts in northern temperate zone, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules round; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and purple.

References
Ian Cooke, The Gardeners Guide to Growing Cannas
(M) The vivid orange-red flowers are reminiscent of ‘Verdi’, and it also has bronze foliage. One more from the stable of Kent Kelly. Not as yet widely available.
(M) Deep tangerine-red, iris-shaped flowers, bronze foliage.4B
Bronze foliage plant with red-orange blooms. Striking colour contrast. Grows to around 2·5 to 3 feet.
Claines Canna Collection
Medium. Dark foliage. Orange-red flowers.

Vesuv

Canna ‘Vesuv’

(Foliage Group)

Origin CROZY Antoine
Height Medium
Foliage Green
Form Branching
Flower Multi-coloured
Blooming Good bloomer
Flowering July/August/September/October/Until frosts
Tillering Prolific

Canna ‘Vesuv’ is a medium sized Foliage Group cultivar; light green foliage, ovoid shaped, white margin, branching habit; oval main stems, coloured green; spikes of flowers are erect, red and orange, staminodes are long and narrow, petals red, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer, flowers in July until frosts in northern temperate zone, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured pink and purple; tillering is prolific.

Really looks like a volcano in full flight. Although primarily a foliage plant this one has very special flowers as well.

Canna ‘Vesuv’
References
Wilhelm Pfitzer Catalogue, 1890
Crozy cannas, 1884-1886
Medium. Leaves green, flowers fiery scarlet.

Victor Hugo

Canna ‘Victor Hugo’

(Crozy Group)

Origin CROZY Antoine
Height Medium
Foliage Green
Form Spreading
Flower Red
Blooming Low bloomer
Flowering August/September/October/Until frosts
Tillering Average

Canna ‘Victor Hugo’ is a medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, white margin, spreading habit; round main stems, coloured green + purple; triangular flower stalks, coloured green; flowers are open, scarlet with a narrow violet margin, throat salmon-red, staminodes are medium size, edges regular, stamen is gold, style is gold, petals red, partial self-cleaning, low bloomer, flowers in August until frosts in northern temperate zone, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured pink and purple; tillering is average.

Canna ‘Victor Hugo’ Copyright 2006
References
Scarlet flowers.
Wilhelm Pfitzer Catalogue, 1890
1887. Small. Broad, beautiful heart-shaped dark, greenish leaves. Flowers have violet edging to them, the large nobly-built flowers are scarlet red.
RHS Journal of 1894
Bronze Banksian Medal.
To J. C. Tasker, Esq., Brentwood (gr. Mr. Perry), for a group
of Cannas, conspicuous being Progression, Madame Croizy, and Victor Hugo.
L'Illustration Horticole, 15 March 1895
Claines Canna Collection
Medium height. Green foliage. Scarlet flowers.

This cultivar was found growing in a garden in St-Brieuc, Brittany, France in 2007 and cost a bottle of red wine to obtain a rhizome offcut. It was labelled as ‘Victor Hugo’, and the owner stated that she had inherited it from her grandmothers garden in the 1960’s. Her grandmother told her that she had inherited it from her parents, so it was considered to be a family heirloom.

The plant is crimson, but there has not yet been a violet edge shown on any of the sparse flowers that it has produced so far, but many of the heritage cannas do not produce well until they have been established several years.

Villedieu-Les-Poȇles

Canna ‘Villedieu-Les-Poȇles’

(Premier Group)

Origin DALEBØ Thor
Height Medium
Foliage Green
Form Arching
Flower Red
Blooming Good bloomer
Flowering July through until frosts
Tillering Good

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Vilmorin-Andreaux

CannaMadame Angèle Martin

Vilmorin-Andrieux is a French seed producer. The company has a long history in France, where it was family-controlled for almost two centuries, and was a world leader in breeding and producing plants and seeds. Today it specialises in seed production, and the largest plant breeding and seed company in the European Union.

Vilmorin advertisement 1910

Vilmorin was founded as a plant and seed boutique in 1743 by seed expert Claude Geoffroy and her husband Pierre Andrieux, the chief seed supplier and botanist to King Louis XV. The store was located on the quai de la Mégisserie, a street in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The company grew in leaps and bounds and purchased a former hunting lodge of Louis XIV of France, which became known for its gardens and arboretum, and the Vilmorin company was headquartered in Verrières-le-Buisson, where it was led by a succession of Vilmorin heirs.

CannaEn Avant

The company produced the first seed catalogue for farmers and academics. In 1856, Louis de Vilmorin published “Note on the Creation of a New Race of Beetroot and Considerations on Heredity in Plants”, establishing the theoretical groundwork for the modern seed-breeding industry. The company’s leaders continued to publish numerous botanical academic articles throughout the company’s early history.

The craze for cannas began in the 1850’s, and the company was active in the breeding and sale of cannas, until in 1972 the company was sold, and following a restructuring Vilmorin focused on vegetable seeds and trees for professionals (growers, seed producers, and nurseries) and is no longer active in breeding canna..