FLOWER OF THE WEEK AT SOPCHOPPY DEPOT PARK

Golden canna

By LYNN ARTZ, DAVID RODDENBERRY, and SANDY TEDDER

Golden canna (Canna flaccida) is a gorgeous wetland perennial also called bandana of the Everglades. Large, lightly perfumed, canary yellow flowers sit atop stems 3-6 feet tall. The showy part (modified stamens) resembles iris petals. Leaves 1-2 feet long spiral around the stem. Flowers emerge in the evening, attract moths, and fade the next day. Golden canna is a larval host for a skipper and a moth. Pollination is mainly by bees but also bats and hummingbirds. First described by William Bartram, golden canna occurs in sunny swamps, freshwater marshes, and wet ditches. Hard, round, black seeds are dispersed by water, but plants also spread through rhizomes. Interestingly, this species effectively removes excess nutrients from water. Recently, golden canna bloomed for the first time in the pond at Sopchoppy Depot Park.