Potted canna lily companion plants will be successful if you use larger containers that fit them well and allow proper air circulation. You will also need to ensure the growing conditions are up to the standard for both plants to co-exist without problems.
When choosing companions, ensure they are smaller or the same size as the lilies so they can receive the same amount of sunlight. Here are a few options you can choose from.
Contents
A List of the Potted Canna Lily Companion Plants
1. Dianthus
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Dianthus is a great companion to Lilly as they share the same growing conditions. Growing them in the same pot will be beneficial as you will provide them with the exact nutrients. Their blooms also draw pollinators, especially when you place them on the patio.
These plants are mostly known as pink, best grows in potted plants for display or gardens for borders. It is a beautiful plant with bright and vibrant flowers that fill your patio or home with so much color. This plant is small, growing to six to 18 inches tall, and perfect for accompanying canna lilies.
They have bright flowers that produce a spicy fragrance in full bloom. The flowers are red, pink, or salmon with white borders along the petals. They bloom in spring to early summer and may re-bloom in summer and fall.
These plants need well-drained and nutrient-rich potting soil, together with this notion, you can always place them under direct sunlight or next to a windowsill that receives full sun for most of the day.
In addition, remember that you must be watering them less frequently, allowing dry seasons in between. On another note, it is also important that you don’t forget to apply a slow-release fertilizer at planting, so that they will bloom to their utmost potential.
2. Creeping Jenny
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Creeping Jenny grows fast and takes up minimal nutrients from the soil. It is a perfect combination of canna as it acts as a mulch keeping the soil moist. Since it does not take up too many nutrients, it allows the lily to grow strong without any challenges.
Due to its beauty, Jenny is a ground cover grown in pots and hanging baskets. It has glossy green foliage that creates a gorgeous green cover over the pot or flowerbed. It has shallow roots that allow a companion plant to grow without disturbance.
Jenny is an evergreen plant that has no bloom but maintains its color throughout the year. However, it does not withstand frost, so you can bring it indoors when it’s cold. This ground cover prefers partial shade and thus will do well under the lilies.
In addition, you must provide a slow-release fertilizer at planting to supply the required nutrients throughout the growing season. Use a well-drained potting mix that does not hold water. Prune it to keep it well-shaped and under control.
You can always divide the plant every spring to control the spread and improve air circulation. Make sure you would provide regular watering but don’t allow the soil to be soggy, or else the roots will be damaged.
3. Freesia
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Freesia is a favorite potted companion to many as it takes up less space and nutrients. Plant canna with these cold-loving plants as they will not compete for nutrients but will thrive together peacefully.
Freesia is a favorite among many flower gardens due to its beautiful blooms. You can grow it indoors and outdoors as it does not take up much space and nutrients, making it a number one choice for potted companions.
On another note, you should also remember that this plant blooms from late winter to early spring, producing many jewel-toned colors. The flowers have a delicate perfume-like scent that is intoxicating to many.
Freesia requires well-draining soils that do not hold water as they are prone to root rot. They thrive under the full sun or when placed next to a window that receives full sunlight for most of the day. If you face harsh winters, you will have to overwinter them, like lily bulbs, to avoid damage by frost. Provide them with adequate water for adequate moisture.
4. Zinnias
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Growing canna and zinnias together will require you to get a large container, enough to accommodate them. It is easy to grow these two together as they require the same growing conditions.
Zinnias are some of the easiest plants to grow and care for as they are not fussy. They do well in almost any growing conditions you provide them. They grow fast, filling your patio with beautiful flowers in no time.
This plant has colorful daisy-like flowers that bloom from mid-summer to frost. It produces flowers in shades of pink, orange, red, purple, yellow, and white, some being bi-color or tri-color.
This annual will do well in well-drained potting soils that are fertile and moist. Provide them with a slow-release fertilizer that will feed them well throughout their growing season. You can use organic manure during planting.
5. Cosmos
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Cosmos and lily plants share the same growing conditions making it easy to grow them together. They are both average feeders ensuring they don’t compete for nutrients, leaving one weaker. These two plants are such a perfect match.
Cosmos are annual flowers with beautiful daisy-like flowers with slender stems. These flowers attract bees, birds, and butterflies to your garden plants. Choose to grow dwarf or compact cultivars for containers that perfectly match the canna lilies.
Cosmos blooms from summer through to frost if you deadhead them. It produces pink, red, orange, maroon, white, and yellow blooms, at least three to five-inch daisy-like flowers. The flower heads are either bowl-shaped or open-cup-shaped.
This plant needs full sun or a sunny window throughout its growing time. It also thrives in well-drained potting soils that are not soggy but moist.
Water these plants frequently to keep the soil moist. Use a slow-release fertilizer during planting to provide adequate nutrients throughout its growing season. Moreover, you can always deadhead the flowers to encourage healthier blooms and make them bloom longer.
6. Hostas
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When companion planting these two, decide the hostas that are greener in color as they grow better in full sun. They also have a shallow root system that does not take up too many nutrients and thus does not compete with canna.
Hostas are a favorite to many gardeners as they are beautiful and require low maintenance, in addition to the way that they are little soft flowers that would grow in a garden or by a hanging plant and would show off their vibrancy in your garden.
In addition, note that when they are still growing and thriving, the younger leaves which are still softer by their foliage would be eaten by deer when they come searching for food during night time.
They have bright green, lush foliage on the inside with a white border. They are perennial plants that you can enjoy for many years. This plant blooms between May and September, depending on the variety, as it would start to grow and multiply in the blooming months, however, it would last till early fall.
The blooms are cream, white, pink, lavender, pale blue, or purple, with a few cultivars being yellow or red. Each flower lasts only a day after it opens and then dies.
Hostas do well in standard potting soil that drains well and is fertile. You can always place the container in a sunny location with bright morning sun and partial shade in the afternoon, and they will grow more as they get acquainted with the environment. Fertilize it every spring at the beginning of active growth. Water them frequently to maintain moist soils.
In addition to this, you may also add a slow-release fertilizer during planting to provide enough nutrients for growing the plant till maturity. When you do so, you will start noticing that the plant is growing extensively, however, make sure that you do not add it in a heavy amount, or else the plant will be stress and may even be subjected to a fertilizer burn.
7. Marigolds
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Most varieties of marigolds can do well when grown together with the lily. They both share the same growing conditions making them easy to grow. Use a large pot that allows air circulation to flow freely so they can co-exist gracefully.
Marigolds are one of the most cheerful plants with vibrant flowers that fill the garden with many pollinators. These gorgeous flowers are significant for having about 50 species that you can choose to grow. It is one of the most beneficial companions to many crops protecting them from notorious pests.
The flowers bloom from early summer to hard frost in the fall. They have a touch of gold, copper, and brass, adding vibrant color to the canna lilies. These blooms look like daisies, except they have more petals and grow in clusters, just as they would be receiving the right amount of sun.
In order to grow these beautiful flower, you must note that they appreciate full sun and well-drained potting soil, which means that you need to place it in a location that it will see direct sun, in addition to a soil that will not hold water in the roots.
You can add a slow-release fertilizer to feed the plant throughout the growing season, this should be when the flowers are still on the verge to grow themselves, as the fertilizer will give them a significant boost, and they will thrive with this aid.
Water them deeply and allow the soil to dry in between. Pinch the tops of newly planted marigolds to encourage bushy plants. Remember to deadhead the flowers to encourage more new blooms, as it will embrace the season’s blooming time.
8. Catmint
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Catmint grown together with lilies is perfect as they have shallow roots and take up minimal nutrients. Canna cannot grow with a plant that takes up so many nutrients as it will grow weak and die.
The cat mints are some of the ornamental plants that would start to produce small, vibrant clusters of lavender-blue flowers in the spring. The blooms last for months blooming endlessly.
This is a gorgeous plant that is an aromatic herb. It is easy to grow and maintain as it does not have many demands. The grayish-green foliage stands out, especially when the flowers pop.
Provide enough space by using a large pot that will accommodate both of these plants. To elaborate the reason of the latter, as you are overcrowding this plant it may lead to powdery mildew or leaf spot, especially in humid climates.
Basically, to take care of better, you must start to water the plant regularly until they are well established, and when the roots have had their maturity.
Since this plant is a humid-loving plant, remember that you must mulch them to retain moisture and keep the roots calm. Lastly, make sure that you would deadhead spent blooms to promote additional flowers.
9. Geraniums
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Geranium has a shallow root system that allows it to take in minimal nutrients. This helps both plants co-exist easily as they do not compete for nutrients.
Geraniums are some of the most popular growing bedding plants. They are commonly grown indoors or outdoors in pots or hanging baskets, which is why they would be spectacular next to the canna lilies.
These beautiful flowers are ones that would start to bloom from spring to fall and may at times also bloom in winter, too, if the weather doesn’t include frost. The flowers come in white, pink, red, mauve, and orange, on the other hand, the leaves are gold, red, bronze, green, multi-colored, or patterned.
If you wish to see them grow in a healthy way then you should remember to plant them in a location where they will see full sun, this could even be near a window that receives adequate sunlight for most of the day.
On another note, you can also make sure that you would fertilize them during planting with a slow-release fertilizer that will provide sufficient nutrients throughout the growing season.
Lastly, it is also important that you would keep the soil well moisturized by watering it frequently it, however, remember that you should not leave it soggy, only humid, because the roots may get damaged.
In order to facilitate the humidity of the roots, you can always add mulch to keep the roots cool and retain moisture. Make sure that you would also provide adequate air circulation by allowing enough air to flow – whether growing it indoors or outdoors.
Conclusion
Potted canna lily companion plants are the best plants you can ever grow, especially if you are a newbie. They are easy to grow and are low-maintenance plants.
Here are some essential points to take home as you look to grow these plants:
- Canna lilies are beautiful plants that are easy to pair with others as they need very few growing requirements.
- Though most gardeners know how to grow canna alone in the pot, you can add other plants as long as you increase the pot size to accommodate the companions.
- The vibrant flowers each of these plants produce attract most gardeners to the mix-and-match gardens.
- If you are a newbie to gardening, you can start with zinnias, dianthus, marigolds, and hostas that are easy to grow and care for.
There are so many possibilities for canna companion planting that you can grow from the list above; we hope this will inspire you to grow more plants.
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