Hi there, Ive got this one growing like a weed and looked online and the closest Incould find is canna indica aka arrowroot. Is this right/edible? Also if it is and someone would like some this can be arranged haha
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Sophie I've eaten this root from my garden and while edible takes a long time to prepare, has a bland taste and probably isn't worth the effect. I consider it more of a famine food. That said I still think it is a very useful and obviously easy plant to grow. Here is one of my clumps growing in a particularly harsh part of my garden facing the western sun -
Finally got around to dissecting this plant - definitely Indian Shot as those bullets would hurt! So my question is, are Indian Shot roots edible? This still seems to be ambiguity around this. Cheers
We're not into any kind of flower arranging but we do have a beautiful double canna. A certain party nicked the seeds when we were on a trip and we've had a yearly display of these beautiful flowers. They grow under shadecloth but do get some kind of golden mould they're probably better off in full sun and air circulation.
I doubt if they'll keenly seed in situ since I had to work hard to grow mine from seed.
So chop the tops off to the ground level then cover the remnant roots if you don't want to pull them up. Use the chopped pieces in compost or as a mulch. If you are worried, separate off and dispose of the seed pods.
That's an easy task as the pods are so large.
Cover the roots with weed mat or old carpet...weed mat has many uses in a garden...and let them die a sunless death.
I find weed mat as a loose covering works very well as a plant or weed suppressant. It's handy on garden paths to suppress weeds, for instance.
Rather than get the narrow widths go for cut offs from the big rolls in the hardware store and trim them to purpose.
Or dig the roots up after wet weather (easier then)and pile them, atop the ground until they dry out and die, then compost them or use them as mulch.
We found over Summer at the school garden that by using weed mat, all the beds were pristine when we undressed them early this term. We have huge rolls of the stuff and use it keenly.
One trick we learnt is to cover some plants with weed mat and dig up others -- then use the dug up roots/plants to weigh down the weed mat over the others. The plants die underneath the mat through lack of sun and the ones on top dry out for lack of moisture and soil.
Two layers of activity. Much better than weighing down with rocks, bricks, pegs, pavers or wood bits.
I can't speak directly from canna killing experience but two months without sun may cause die off...and this time of year, the cannas are growing slowly so they are vulnerable.
As I say, I consciously grow them by planting them around the garden in selected spots.I chop them back, reduce their spread, harvest them for mulch...I have a sickle so it's an easy business to make them obey me.
In contrast the Qld Arrowroot is always well behaved....and I'm replacing some of my canna indicas with the arrowroot in places where I want more shade(because the arrowroot variety grows so tall).
While I look for other cannas to grow, most of the flower specimen species die back annually and that limits their utility...but stunning flowers, easy to grow ... esp if you are into ikebana.
Thanks Dave, that is unfortunate. They have spread far and wide. What would be the best way of disposing, in the bin? Only have cold compost at the moment and not keen for seeds to survive ...
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Sophie I've eaten this root from my garden and while edible takes a long time to prepare, has a bland taste and probably isn't worth the effect. I consider it more of a famine food. That said I still think it is a very useful and obviously easy plant to grow. Here is one of my clumps growing in a particularly harsh part of my garden facing the western sun -
Haha fair enough, thanks Elaine
Afaik all Canna varieties are edible meaning they are not toxic. but whether the specific Canna is palatable is another matter.
Also thanks for the tips re eradicating, only just saw. And yes, I have used for Ikebana :)
Finally got around to dissecting this plant - definitely Indian Shot as those bullets would hurt! So my question is, are Indian Shot roots edible? This still seems to be ambiguity around this. Cheers
We're not into any kind of flower arranging but we do have a beautiful double canna. A certain party nicked the seeds when we were on a trip and we've had a yearly display of these beautiful flowers. They grow under shadecloth but do get some kind of golden mould they're probably better off in full sun and air circulation.
I doubt if they'll keenly seed in situ since I had to work hard to grow mine from seed.
So chop the tops off to the ground level then cover the remnant roots if you don't want to pull them up. Use the chopped pieces in compost or as a mulch. If you are worried, separate off and dispose of the seed pods.
That's an easy task as the pods are so large.
Cover the roots with weed mat or old carpet...weed mat has many uses in a garden...and let them die a sunless death.
I find weed mat as a loose covering works very well as a plant or weed suppressant. It's handy on garden paths to suppress weeds, for instance.
Or dig the roots up after wet weather (easier then)and pile them, atop the ground until they dry out and die, then compost them or use them as mulch.
We found over Summer at the school garden that by using weed mat, all the beds were pristine when we undressed them early this term. We have huge rolls of the stuff and use it keenly.
One trick we learnt is to cover some plants with weed mat and dig up others -- then use the dug up roots/plants to weigh down the weed mat over the others. The plants die underneath the mat through lack of sun and the ones on top dry out for lack of moisture and soil.
Two layers of activity. Much better than weighing down with rocks, bricks, pegs, pavers or wood bits.
I can't speak directly from canna killing experience but two months without sun may cause die off...and this time of year, the cannas are growing slowly so they are vulnerable.
As I say, I consciously grow them by planting them around the garden in selected spots.I chop them back, reduce their spread, harvest them for mulch...I have a sickle so it's an easy business to make them obey me.
In contrast the Qld Arrowroot is always well behaved....and I'm replacing some of my canna indicas with the arrowroot in places where I want more shade(because the arrowroot variety grows so tall).
While I look for other cannas to grow, most of the flower specimen species die back annually and that limits their utility...but stunning flowers, easy to grow ... esp if you are into ikebana.
There does to seem be be some online confusion about this too.
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