Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Canna 'Bengal Tiger' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bengal Tiger Canna, Pretoria Canna (Canna 'Bengal Tiger').

More about canna 'bengal tiger'

About Canna 'Bengal Tiger'

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' · also called Bengal Tiger Canna, Pretoria Canna · flowering

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' (syn. 'Pretoria') is one of the most striking cannas, with broad, bold green leaves striped in bright yellow-gold along the veins, and vivid orange flowers. It is widely grown as a tropical-accent specimen in borders and large containers. Full sun and ample moisture bring out its best. Rhizomes must be overwintered indoors in frost-prone areas. Mildly toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons canna 'bengal tiger' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming canna 'bengal tiger' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding canna 'bengal tiger' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get canna 'bengal tiger' to flower

Maximise sun. Give canna 'bengal tiger' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for canna 'bengal tiger' and get the feeding right with the canna 'bengal tiger' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full canna 'bengal tiger' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my canna 'bengal tiger' flower?

Canna 'Bengal Tiger' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make canna 'bengal tiger' bloom?

Give canna 'bengal tiger' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does canna 'bengal tiger' normally bloom?