Flowers

11 Orange Canna Lily Varieties To Brighten Up Your Garden

Do you need to brighten up your flowerbeds this season? What better way to do so than adding some orange canna lilies to your garden! In this article, gardening expert Paige Foley looks at her favorite varieties of orange canna lilies that will add plenty of personality to your flowerbeds this season!

By Last updated: October 20, 2022 | 5 min read

A beautiful orange canna lily up close. You can see the green foliage in the background that's blurred out. The focus of the image is the orange flower that has a dark orange interior, with lighter orange ribbons on the exterior of each petal.

Adding orange canna lilies to your garden or container will surely bring tropical vibes all summer long. There are numerous varieties of this beautiful blooming perennial and it can be overwhelming to choose the perfect plant.

Gardeners love canna lilies because they attract pollinators and are naturally deer and rabbit repellent. This is great news for rural gardeners that struggle to keep animals from eating their plants. You can plant them in early spring if you live in northern regions and by late June or early July, you’ll have beautiful blooms that last until fall.

So, you’ve decided you want to add orange canna lilies to your garden but wondering what varieties produce orange blooms? We’ve put together a list of popular orange canna lilies that you will surely love. Let’s dig in!

‘Tangelo’

A picture of canna x generalis 'Tangelo’ up close. The focus is on the orange bloom of the flower, with a dark orange center, and lighter orange ripples on the outside of the petals. The image is up close, and you can see unfocused foliage in the background.
‘Tangelo’ blooms with magnificent tangerine-colored flowers.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Tangelo’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 2’-3’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 4-11

Like the name states, this beautiful canna will bloom in hues of tangerine orange above lush dark green foliage. Happiest when planted in at least 4 hours of sunlight per day, this flower loves the heat and humidity. They will tolerate partial shade but will produce fewer flowers and weaker stems.

Popular in the Victorian era for being exotic they soon lost popularity to more simple and delicate flowers. This variety has quickly gained popularity for its rapid growing foliage and brilliant blooms.

‘Rosemond Cole’

An image of the canna x generalis 'Rosemond Cole’ up close. You can see green foliage in the background, but the focus of the image is the tall orange and yellow flowers. These blooms are different from other canna lilies, and are a red-orange color on each petal. Then there is a yellow-orange layer of the outside of each flower petal.
This gorgeous variety has orange flowers with a thin gold outline around the petals.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Rosemond Cole’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 3’-4’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun to partial sun
  • Plant Zones: 4-11

This unique blooming flower has orange petals with a thin gold outline around the petal. Perfect if you love multicolored petals in one bloom.

What this variety lacks in height, it will make up for in blooms. The large petals are truly stunning against the dark green foliage. Beautiful in patio containers or as a backdrop to lower growing perennials or annuals.

‘Stuttgart’

Ain image of Canna x generalis 'Stuttgart’ up close. The focus in this image is of the orange flower itself. It shows the flower petals up close, and the flowers are a sort of coral orange color. The interior flower stamens are an even deeper orange coral color.
‘Stuttgart’ blooms with delightful small pale orange flowers and produces variegated foliage.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Stuttgart’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 4’-6’
  • Sun exposure: Partial sun
  • Plant Zones: 4-11

This variety has an unusual variegated leaf that is green with white blotches throughout. The blooms are a petite pale orange to darker orange near the throat. The variety was named after a botanical garden in Germany where it was discovered.

This is one of the few varieties that prefer partial shade. This is due to their leaves being more prone to sunburn because of the light green and white stripping. 4 hours or less of sunlight and this variety will thrive. This is very rare for a canna lily as most love the direct all day sun.

‘Wyoming’

An up close image of Canna x generalis 'Wyoming’ with a focus on the bright orange bloom. The flower is slightly wilted, and the petals are a bright orange color, and they are almost all one color with minimal orange color variation.
‘Wyoming’ produces large orange flowers that are sure to be the center of attention in your garden.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Wyoming’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 4’-6’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 4-11

Big bright orange blooms sit above bronze colored foliage. The contrast between the blooms and the foliage really make this variety stand out. This variety received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

The Royal Horticultural Society judges thousands of plants on characteristics such as good construction, stable in form and color, availability and resistance to diseases and pests. You can typically find the RHS logo on labels of plants that have won.

‘Wyoming is an indica canna lily. These are the oldest varieties of canna lilies and were some of the first varieties introduced to Europe in the 1500’s. Indicas are the oldest species in cultivation.

‘Phasion’

An image of Canna x generalis 'Phasion’ where you can see both the flower and the contrasted foliage. The foliage is a reddish orange color, and the leaves are quite large with green variegation. The flowers are blooming at the top, and are bright orange.
This is one of the brightest varieties with colorful foliage veined with pink, orange and red.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Phasion’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 3’-4’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 3-10

One of the most colorful varieties on the list, the foliage has beautiful pink, orange and red veins with eye-catching orange blooms above. This variety also goes by the name Durban and Tropicanna. This variety is another winner of the Award for Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

 A fast and easy grower that multiplies quickly. They are versatile and will grow where other plants simply cannot. Boggy areas prove to be an excellent space for planting as long as the soil isn’t too damp for long periods of time. Standing water can cause root rot.

‘Orange Beauty’

An image close up of Canna x generalis 'Orange Beauty’ with a sole focus on the bright orange flower. This flower is a bright orange color, and is just one color all the way through the flower, stamen, and up to the stem. The foliage is bright green in the background but is out of focus.
‘Orange Beauty’ produces beautiful orange flowers and is non-toxic to pets.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Orange Beauty’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 4’-6’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 3-11

A classic canna lily variety, this is a true orange bloom atop blue-green foliage. A great choice as a living fence. Choose a sunny location with well-draining soils and watch this variety shine. Non-toxic to pets so you don’t have to worry about your animals munching on the leaves or blooms.

As a tender perennial they are prone to damage in harsh winter conditions. In zones 3-7, lift your canna lilies to prevent frost damage. If they are left in the soil, they will not emerge in the spring.

‘South Pacific Orange’

An image up close of Canna x generalis 'South Pacific Orange’ with a focus on the petals. This flower is a dark coral orange color on the outer petals, and lightens more towards the interior of the flower head, with streaks of light yellow showing on each flower petal. There is some green foliage in the background that are out of focus.
This is a unique hybrid that has large orange flowers and has been awarded.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘South Pacific Orange’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 4’-5’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 3-11

This particular variety is grown from seed, not a rhizome. It is a unique hybrid that produces large sunset orange blooms above branchy green foliage. This is an award winning variety and received the 2018 All American Selection award.

Here are a few key notes from the judges at All American Selection. They noted that this variety is an excellent pollinator and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. They also said due to its compact size and basal branching, it’s ideal for containers or compact borders.

‘Burning Ember’

An image of Canna x generalis 'Burning Ember’ up close. This image really focuses on a single flower blossom. The flower is a deeper orange color that has hints of red. You can see the deeper red towards the exterior of each flower petal, with a brighter orange color fading into the inside, which is how the flower got its name.
This is a miniature canna variety that produces delicate orange flowers and bronze foliage.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Burning Ember’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 3’-4’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 3-11

This petite yet bold flower is sure to make a statement in your garden. Much like the name says, the blooms resemble the colors of burning embers. Beautiful hues of orange make them look like they are glowing. The blooms really shine against the bronze leaves below. 

Consider planting in a container as a filler-thriller-spiller look. Plant in the center of a container and plant for dramatic height. Add cascading plants around the canna lily for a stunning container.

‘Pretoria’

An image of Canna x generalis 'Pretoria’ up close, with a focus on both flower and foliage. The green leaves are in the background of the image, and are large. Each leaf has some variegation, and has both dark and lighter green coloring. The plant is quite tall, and the flowers at the top are a 50% mix of darker and lighter oranges. The flowers are blooming and there are two distinct orange flowers in focus.
‘Pretoria’ produces variegated green and yellow leaves and large bright orange flowers.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Pretoria’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 5’-6’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 3-11

Also known as ‘Bengal Tiger’ this variety has stunning variegated green and yellow leaves. The leaves resemble stripes similar to a Bengal Tiger, hence the name. They produce large brilliant orange blooms with lighter hues of orange throughout.

The petals remind me of a sunset painting and are absolutely stunning. They bloom from mid-summer to late fall. Another recipient of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

‘Orange Punch’

An image up close of Canna x generalis 'Orange Punch’ with a focus on the flowers. They are deep orange in color, with some bright orange and almost yellow colors towards the center of each bloom.
This dwarf variety has delightful tangerine orange flowers with a yellow throat.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Orange Punch’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 3’-4’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 3-11

This beautiful dwarf variety is compact but don’t underestimate its size.  With gorgeous tangerine orange flowers with lemon yellow throats, these are sure to make a statement. With lush, green foliage it’s sure to make any area look fuller.

This particular variety of flowers are held in recames instead of a typical stack. This means the flower cluster grows from a stem that attaches to the main stem.

‘Omega’

An up close image of Canna x generalis 'Omega’ which focuses on the flowers. The flowers are a coral color, which is a bit of both orange and red. You can see about 4 different blooms in this picture with some muted green foliage in the background.
‘Omega’ is a giant canna lily that produces peach-orange flowers on tall green stems.
Scientific Name: Canna x generalis ‘Omega’
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Plant Size: 8’-10’
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zones: 3-11

Tall and delicate are what best describe this giant canna lily. The blooms are a soft peachy-orange above tall stakes of green foliage. With very large foliage, the leaves have been known to get to 2 feet long.

Many say this is the tallest canna lily on the market and has been seen to get over 10 feet tall. This has been reported in just one growing season. Hot, sunny and humidity are ideal conditions to achieve these heights. Cooler regions may not see this variety get over 8 feet tall.

Final Thoughts

Flowers that bloom with beautiful orange blossoms can make any garden feel warmer and more inviting. Adding a tropical orange canna lily can easily add additional brightness to your flowerbeds. These perennials also grow quite tall, making them a great backdrop flower for a number of other garden plants. Whether you are looking to attract pollinators, or just add some color, any orange canna lily on this list can make a perfect addition to your garden!

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