ORIGIN Sydney Percy-Lancaster HEIGHT Small, under 1 metre FOLIAGE Green FORM Upright FLOWER Yellow
A small Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, upright habit; flowers are open, yellow with yellow-orange spots, staminodes are narrow, edges regular, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white and pink; tillering is average.
In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India in 1966. Still grown in Austra-Asia.
A medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, spreading habit; flowers are self-coloured rose, edges regular, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not known if true to type, not self-pollinating, capsules round.
Raised by the Canna guru of India, Mr Sydney Percy-Lancaster, over 50 years as the Secretary of the Royal Agro-Horticultural Society of India. His father, Percey Lancaster, started breeding the Alipore Cannas in 1892. This plant was in the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India in 1966, and is still available in that country.
The Agri Horticultural Society of India, located in Kolkata, India, firstly under the Secretaryship of Percy Lancaster in 1892 and later that of his son Sydney Percy-Lancaster, raised the Alipore Canna Collection, which dominated canna throughout Asia and the Pacific countries.
Over 100 new varieties are known to have been raised by the society during that period, as well as importing the latest favourites from Europe and later from the USA.
On his retirement to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in southern Africa, Sydney Percy-Lancaster took with him cannas from this, his families collection, thus spreading canna cultivars to a part of the world that had previously had little exposure to the canna, other than the wild species.
HEIGHT Small, under 1 metre FOLIAGE Green and purple variegated FORM Branching FLOWER Pink FLOWERING Average bloomer
Canna ‘Baby Pink’ is a small Crozy Group cultivar; green and purple variegated foliage, oval shaped, maroon margin, branching habit; flowers are open, self-coloured pink, staminodes are medium size, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer, 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 white and purple; tillering is slow.
Summary: Miniature, pink blooms with variegated foliage.
Size: Small
Flower: Pink
Foliage: Dark
Origin: Imported into Europe from South Africa, probably another remnant of the Alipore Canna Collection left behind by Sydney Percy-Lancaster when he returned to India after his ill-fated retirement in Africa.
ORIGIN Percy-Lancaster, S HEIGHT Tall FOLIAGE Purple FORM Arching FLOWER Red FLOWERING Low bloomer
Canna ‘Black Knight’ is a tall Crozy Group cultivar; purple foliage, oval shaped, arching habit; round stems, coloured purple; flowers are reflexed, self-coloured crimson-maroon, staminodes are large, edges regular, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, low bloomer, blooms open in the early morning; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile.
Blooms are crimson maroon, with dark foliage. Recommended for exhibition. Breeder: S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India
Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966
x generalis, dwarf (50-80cm), foliage purple, broad staminodia (5-7 cm) self coloured. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India.
RHS New Dictionary of Gardening, 1992
Lvs brown; fls red.
Brockings Exotics Catalogue, 1997
bronze foliage, very dark red aristocratic flowers, choice plant
Similar to ‘Assaut’, but a deeper velvety red. Petals are very large and relatively long, almost strap like. I have compared cultivars from various sources of the UK, and Dutch imports, and the USA, and they are the same. The long petals in a loose arrangement give the head an extravagant “Mop Head” appearance. The flower head are so large and heavy that they often bend over. Tall
Long velvety dark red petals which are somewhat strap-like, giving the flower the appearance of a “mop-head”. Grows tall, 2m or more, but not quite as tall as, say ‘Wyoming’ or ‘Roi Humbert’. Pale bronze foliage.
Ian Cooke, The Gardeners Guide to Growing Cannas
(syn. ‘Black Velvet’, possibly also a synonym for ‘Ambassador’) (T) ‘Black Knight’ is the name widely used in the British Isles for a cultivar with large, floppy, deep crimson flowers that have reflexed petals. The name also appears in Indian lists but is not registered. The stems bear an attractive contrasting white farina and the leaves are bluish-purple. It is readily available, but stocks are often not true to type.
Very tall. Bronze foliage. Deepest velvet-red flower with somewhat strap-shaped petals. Large mop-shaped flower head. Often seen as a centrepiece plant. £5.85 for 3 rhizomes.
Rivendell Botanic Garden, List January 2001
Dark red flowers, leaves red, blue and green medium height.
San Marcos Growers
Needs full sun and moderate water. Red flowers in summer-fall. 4-7 feet tall
TyTy Nursery, Internet, 2002, March
Red blooms with some red shadings in the leaves. A shy, late bloomer. To 5 feet.
Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, Summer 2002, Internet
Incredible mid-sized 3-4 ft. Canna; its almost black/green lance-shaped leaves give the illusion of a shadow to an otherwise sunny garden; deep scarlet flowers.
OriginPERCY-LANCASTER Sydney HeightMedium FoliageGreen FormBranching
Canna ‘Fair Maid’ is a medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, branching habit; oval main stems, coloured green; flowers are open, yellow with red spots, staminodes are narrow, 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.
References
Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966
x generalis, tall (80-160cm), foliage green, narrow staminodia (3-5 cm) spotted. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India.
ORIGIN Sydney Percy-Lancaster HEIGHT Medium, 1-2 metres FOLIAGE Green FORM Branching FLOWER Multi-coloured
Canna ‘Percy Lancaster’ is a medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, white margin, branching habit; round stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, yellow heavily spotted with red, staminodes are large, edges ruffled, petals yellow, fully self-cleaning, blooms open in the early morning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules round.
Named by the breeder for his father, Mr Percy Lancaster who founded the Alipore Canna Collection in the early 1890’s.
Discovered growing in Southern Africa and introduced to the US market under the name of Canna ‘African Scarlet Speckle’
Large rich rose cerise. Green leaves. 100cm. Blooms yellow heavily spotted red. Recommended for exhibition.
Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966
x generalis, tall (80-160cm), foliage green, broad staminodia (5-7 cm) spotted. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India
Canna ‘Pink Satin’ is a medium sized Premier Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, white margin, branching habit; oval main stems, coloured green; triangular flower stems, coloured green; clusters of flowers are open, self-coloured pink, staminodes are large, edges lightly frilled, petals red, fully self-cleaning, good bloomer, 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 white and pink; tillering is slow.
Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966
x generalis, tall (80-160cm), foliage green, broad staminodia (5-7 cm) self-coloured. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India.
A DISCUSSION ON ALL MATTERS RELATING TO THE CANNACEAE FAMILY; OF INTEREST TO GARDENERS, COLLECTORS, AND PROFESSIONALS ALIKE.
