Canna Vanilla Cream

Canna ‘Vanilla Cream’ is a beautifully elegant canna that brings a softer, more refined look to tropical-style planting. It produces creamy, vanilla-yellow flowers (often with a gentle buttery tone) held above lush, architectural foliage, creating a bright, uplifting display all summer long. It’s a fantastic choice if you love the bold shape and presence of Cannas but want a colour that blends effortlessly into pastel planting schemes as well as hotter, more vibrant borders.

This variety looks stunning in large patio pots where the pale blooms can be enjoyed up close, and it works brilliantly in sunny borders as a statement plant among Dahlias, Salvias, ornamental grasses and other summer favourites. With warmth, sun, and regular feeding, ‘Vanilla Cream’ will keep flowering right up until the first frosts.

Planting Instructions

When to Plant:

Plant Cannas in spring. If supplied as a rhizome, you can start it off indoors in a pot from March onwards for a head start, then move outside once the risk of frost has passed. If planting outside, wait until late spring when the soil has warmed.

Where to Plant:
Choose a warm, sunny, sheltered position with rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Cannas are perfect for exotic borders, large containers and tropical-style planting. They love heat and perform best in full sun.

How to Plant:

• Depth: Plant rhizomes about 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) deep, with the growing points facing upwards.
• Spacing: Space 40–60 cm (16–24 inches) apart, depending on the size and effect you want.
• Soil Prep: Improve soil with plenty of well-rotted compost or manure. In heavy soils, add grit to improve drainage.

Watering:
Water well after planting and keep soil evenly moist through the growing season. Cannas are thirsty plants, especially in pots, so don’t let them dry out in hot weather.

Aftercare Tips:

• Feed regularly through summer (weekly in pots) to encourage strong growth and continuous flowering.
• Deadhead spent blooms to keep plants tidy and promote more flowers.
• In autumn, after the first frost blackens the foliage, cut stems back and either lift and store rhizomes frost-free or move containers into a protected place.
• Start watering again in spring when growth resumes.

Top Tip:
Pale Cannas like ‘Vanilla Cream’ are brilliant for brightening a sunny border. Plant it near darker foliage or deep-coloured flowers for contrast—it makes the creamy blooms look even more luminous.

Plant Details

Flowering Period:

July - October (until first frosts)

Height:
36–48" (90–120cm) (approx. depending on conditions)

Position:
Full sun, sheltered

Tender Perennial:
Overwinter frost-free in the UK