Many gardeners and plant lovers know the Indian flower cane, more commonly known as canna, with its breathtakingly exotic-looking flowers. But it's not just the flowers of this plant that are interesting. Their fruits also cause a stir.
What are the characteristics and uses of the canna fruit?
The fruit of the canna is a 1-2 cm large capsule fruit that looks wart-like and hedgehog-like. Inside there are dark brown to black, shiny seeds. Although edible, they are dry and tasteless. However, the fruits can be used decoratively or for sowing new cannas.
What external characteristics does the fruit of the canna have?
Each fruit cluster of the canna hasseveral fruitsThere are usually six of them, depending on how many flowers were successfully fertilized. The individual fruits are visually reminiscent of small hedgehogs. They also look similar to chestnut or datura fruits. They are so-calledcapsule fruits They are between 1 and 2 cm tall and consist of three chambers in which the seeds are contained.
What does the inside of the canna fruit look like?
In each wart-like capsule there aretwo or more seeds per chamber. These are egg-shaped to roundish, dark brown to black in color, shiny and smooth on the surface. Their size is between 4 and 6 mm.
Is the fruit of the canna edible?
The fruits of the canna are theoreticallyediblebecause they containno toxins. But probably nobody eats them because they are very dry andnot very tasty. However, unlike them, the leaves and stems of the canna are mildly poisonous.
When does the fruit of the canna ripen?
Depending onwhen the flowering startedand how long it lasts, the fruits of the canna ripen within a few weeks. They are usually ripebetween October and November. When they reach maturity, the capsules burst open and release the seeds they contain.
What can you use the fruit of the canna for?
The fruits of the canna are not edible, but they can be used fordecorative purposes. The easiest way is to leave them attached to the plant. This means that the Canna still looks spectacular in autumn. But you can also separate the fruits shortly before they are ripe and use them at home as an autumn table decoration, for example.
You can also use the seeds contained in the fruits, for example for propagation orSowing of a new canna.
What pretreatment do the cannafruit seeds need?
The seeds should be treated with a file (€5.00 on Amazon) (e.g. nail file) or sandpaper before sowing. They have a very hard shell, which is why the germination process can take several months. File or sandthe seeds until the white interior becomes visible. But do not damage the ovules under any circumstances!
How to sow the seeds from the fruit of the canna correctly?
If you have pre-treated the Canna seeds, you can start sowing:
- Let seeds swell for 48 hours
- Sowing time:End of January to mid-February
- Fill pots with potting soil
- SeedsSow 1 to 2 cm deep
- Keep substrate moist
- Germination time: one to two weeks
Tip
Be careful when harvesting cannafruits
The canna fruits, which shrivel when ripe, should be harvested carefully. It is best to cut them off with secateurs, otherwise the plant could be damaged and the seeds could fall out.
