Plant in full to part sun and irrigate regularly to occasionally. In a part shade location in our own garden it has surprisingly thrived and spread in an infrequently irrigated location and it can also grow well in shallow aquatic situations as well. It is hardy to 0 degrees F. This is a large and stunning large canna with unique and showy flowers.

This plant has sometimes been sold as a Canna iridiflora, a valid species from fairly high elevation Peruvian Andes from which it most probably is related and was plant brought into cultivation in England as early as 1816. Canna 'Ehemanni' is thought to be a hybrid between Canna iridiflora and C. indica var. warsczewiczii created by Monsieur Théodore Année in 1863 and named for a French-German gardener named Ehemann. It is sometimes incorrectly listed as Canna x ehemanni or spelled as "ehemanii" with only one "n". The name Canna Ehemanni was first listed in Garden: An Illustrated Weekly Journal of Gardening In All its Branches (V. 21 pgs. 10, 42), a journal that was published from 1871 until 1927. Its first listing in this publication on page 10 under the heading CANNA EHMANNi states "It a most distinct and beautiful plant, and we predict for it a brilliant future. We intend to give a coloured illustration of this plant shortly". In the latter promised follow up listing on page 42 the text is accompanied by a beautifully drawn color illustration and the name listed as s "Canna iridiflora Ehmanni". Here it is described as "One of the noblest and most beautiful amongst recent additions to stove plants is the Canna, of which we herewith give an illustration. Cannas are, as a rule, stately plants, but this one excels them all in that respect, for not only is its foliage bold and ornamental, but its blossoms are very lovely. It would be difficult to imagine a more charming object than a well-grown specimen of this plant such as we have seen at Pendell Court, Bletchingley, under the care of Mr. Green. … It is remarkable for its protracted flowering season; from early spring till within a few weeks ago [written on January 14, 1881] it has been continuously in flower; it is however, best in early summer. Of its origin, we cannot speak with certainty, but it appears to have emanated from Continental [meaning European] gardens. Its nearest neighbor is C. iridiflora of which, indeed, it may be a variety, but it is far finer than we have ever seen that species, the flowers being larger, the colour brighter, and the plant altogether of more ornamental character." It was also noted in this publication that in the stove house (greenhouse) this plant could reach 10 feet tall.

The name for the genus is from the Latin word 'cannae' that came from the Greek word 'kanne' meaning "a reed" or "cane". We grew this plant from 1995 until 2006, only discontinuing it because it did not sell that well, though it remained a prominent favorite in our garden and at times the patch needs to be thinned. It has also been one of the few cannas we have grown that seemingly remains uninfected by the Canna yellow mottle and yellow streak viruses that pretty much wiped out most Canna collections in the early in the early 2000s. We occasionally have it for sale in small numbers. 

This information about Canna 'Ehemanni' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.