Bitterroot Restoration

Order: Zingiberales
Family: Cannaceae

Indian shot (Canna indica) is a species of the Canna genus. A native of the Caribbean and tropical Americas that is also widely cultivated as a garden plant. Indian shot is a perennial growing from 0.5m to 2.5m, depending on the variety. There are many cultivated varieties that come in beautiful and exotic colours such as yellow, orange, pink and red. It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. In the northern latitudes it is in flower from August to October, and the seeds ripen in October. Their flowers are hermaphrodite.

The seeds are small, globular, black pellets, hard and heavy enough to sink in water. They are widely used for jewellery. The seeds are also used as the mobile elements of the kayamb, a musical instrument from Réunion, as well as the hosho, a gourd rattle from Zimbabwe, where the seeds are known as "hota" seeds.

When growing Indian Shot from seed outdoors, it is best to sow at a depth of 6mm in the late spring, when the last frost has long gone. If growing Indian Shot from tubers then these should be buried at a depth of about 9cm. If planning to grow Canna seedlings indoors then the seed first needs to be chipped with a knife, and then soaked in warm water for two days. The seeds (which may take from a month right up to a year to germinate) should be kept at a temperature of about 22C. If you are successful in growing seedlings then they should be planted about 50cm apart in a sunny part of the garden that has good drainage. Indian Shot require a moist soil of pH 6 to 7.