Achira (Canna edulis)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −12.2 °C
Cultivation
Requires a deep rich well-drained soil in a sunny position. This species is probably hardy in the mildest areas of Britain but even then it should be given a good mulch if left in the ground overwinter. According to some botanists this species is no more than a synonym for C. indica. Cultivated for its edible root in the Tropics, there are some named varieties. Slugs love the young growth in spring and can cause serious damage to plants.
Propagation
Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow February/March in a warm greenhouse at 20°c. Grow the plants on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of the root clump as the plant comes into growth in the spring. Each portion must have at least one growing point. Pot up the divisions and grow them on in the greenhouse until they are well established and then plant them out in the summer. Root cuttings.
Edible uses
Root - raw or cooked. Young shoots - cooked and eaten as a green vegetable. The immature seeds are cooked in fat tortillas.
Material uses
The starch from the roots is sometimes used as a laundry starch or for sizing.
Habitat
By the coast and in temperate valleys of the Andes.
Native range
S. America. W. Indies.