Canna lily (Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’)

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' is a variegated canna cultivar grown for its green leaves marked with yellow stripes and its vivid orange flowers. It is a warm-season, rhizomatous perennial in the Cannaceae family.

Give Canna 'Bengal Tiger' full sun for the strongest growth, best flowering, and most pronounced variegation. It tolerates partial shade, but flowering may be reduced in lower light.

Keep the soil evenly moist while Canna 'Bengal Tiger' is actively growing. Water when the surface begins to dry, but avoid persistently stagnant conditions in containers or poorly drained beds.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' commonly grows about 4 to 5 feet tall, although height varies with climate, fertility, and growing conditions. In containers or shorter seasons, plants may remain smaller.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' is best treated as frost-tender in the United States, with outdoor overwintering most dependable in warmer USDA Zones 8 through 11. Gardeners in colder zones should lift and store the rhizomes or grow the plant in a container.

Yes, Canna 'Bengal Tiger' tolerates partial shade, especially when the soil remains moist. Choose full sun whenever possible because shade can produce fewer flowers and less vigorous growth.

Use moist, fertile, well-drained loam or sandy loam for Canna 'Bengal Tiger'. Improve heavy clay or very sandy soil with organic matter while preserving reliable drainage around the rhizomes.

Yes, Canna 'Bengal Tiger' performs well near ponds and other water features when planted in fertile soil that stays moist. Do not place the rhizomes in cold, stagnant water unless the growing system is specifically designed for aquatic cannas.

Reduced yellow striping can result from insufficient light, stress, or new growth that has not fully developed its mature pattern. Move the plant toward brighter light and maintain steady moisture, but recognize that variegation can naturally vary between leaves.

The most common reasons are inadequate sunlight, immature growth, cool temperatures, or excessive nitrogen. Provide full sun, regular moisture, and balanced feeding, and allow the plant a sufficiently long warm growing season.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' may be attacked by leaf rollers, aphids, caterpillars, Japanese beetles, slugs, and snails. Inspect unfurling leaves and flower buds regularly, remove damaged tissue, and use a control method labeled for the pest and plant.

Open or remove rolled leaves containing caterpillars and discard badly damaged stems. Regular inspection is often effective for light infestations; use only a product labeled for ornamental cannas when additional control is needed.

Brown leaves can indicate drought stress, leaf scorch, pests, disease, or damage from cold. Check soil moisture, improve airflow, avoid wetting the foliage late in the day, and remove severely damaged leaves.

Yes, Canna 'Bengal Tiger' can be affected by canna viruses, which may cause abnormal striping, mottling, distortion, or declining vigor. Isolate suspicious plants, remove severely affected material, and control aphids because they can spread some viruses.

Yes, feed Canna 'Bengal Tiger' during active growth with a balanced fertilizer according to the product label. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can encourage leaves at the expense of flowers and may weaken growth.

Plant Canna 'Bengal Tiger' rhizomes in spring after the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. In much of the United States, planting after consistently warm nights gives the rhizomes a faster start.

Plant Canna 'Bengal Tiger' rhizomes about 2 to 4 inches deep with the growing points facing upward. Space them approximately 12 to 18 inches apart so the clumps have room to expand.

Yes, Canna 'Bengal Tiger' grows well in a large container filled with fertile, well-drained potting mix. Choose a heavy pot that can support a tall plant, provide drainage holes, and keep the mix consistently moist.

After frost blackens the foliage, cut the stems back, lift the rhizomes, and let excess soil dry from the surface. Store them in a cool, dark, frost-free place in barely moist packing material, checking periodically for rot or excessive dryness.

Leave Canna 'Bengal Tiger' in the ground only where winters are mild and the soil does not freeze deeply. In colder USDA Zones, frost and wet winter soil can kill or rot the rhizomes, so lifting them is safer.

Propagate Canna 'Bengal Tiger' primarily by dividing its rhizomes in early spring. Separate sections with at least one healthy growing eye, then replant them in warm soil with the eyes facing upward.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' is best propagated by rhizome division because seed may be unreliable and may not reproduce the parent’s variegated foliage. Seed-grown plants can differ in flower color, foliage pattern, or overall form.

Divide Canna 'Bengal Tiger' clumps in early spring just before active growth begins or when stored rhizomes are being prepared for planting. Division every few years can reduce overcrowding and restore vigor.

Prune Canna 'Bengal Tiger' mainly by removing spent flowers, damaged leaves, and frost-killed stems. Cut the plant to the ground after the first damaging frost when preparing it for winter storage.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' is generally considered non-toxic to dogs and cats, but ingestion can still cause stomach upset or become a choking risk. Prevent pets and children from eating the plant, and contact a veterinarian or poison service if concerning symptoms occur.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' generally blooms from summer into early fall when it receives sufficient warmth, moisture, and sunlight. In short-season areas, flowering may begin later or be limited by early frost.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' produces bright orange flowers, often carried above purple-tinged stems. The flowers contrast strongly with its green-and-yellow variegated foliage.

Provide full sun, steady moisture, adequate fertility, and a long warm growing season to encourage more flowers. Deadhead spent blooms and seedpods so the plant can continue producing fresh flower stalks.