Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Canna 'Black Knight' (Canna 'Black Knight')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Black Knight Canna Lily.

More about canna 'black knight'

About Canna 'Black Knight'

Canna 'Black Knight' · also called Black Knight Canna Lily · flowering

Canna 'Black Knight' produces deep crimson-scarlet flowers over rich bronze-black foliage, making it one of the most dramatic dark-leaved cannas. It is a vigorous, sun-loving tender perennial ideal for bold tropical-style plantings. Rhizomes must be overwintered frost-free in cool climates. Mildly toxic to pets.

Cold limit: USDA 7-11 (mulch heavily in zone 7; lift in zones 6 and colder) · RHS H3 (15-30°C)

What canna 'black knight''s hardiness rating actually means

Canna 'Black Knight' is half-hardy (RHS H3). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H3 means: Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze. On the US scale that maps to USDA 7-11 (mulch heavily in zone 7; lift in zones 6 and colder) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −5 to 1 °C — a light, short frost only. Canna 'Black Knight' shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for canna 'black knight' as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about −5 to 1 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can canna 'black knight' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 7-11 (mulch heavily in zone 7; lift in zones 6 and colder) or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when canna 'black knight' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H3 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline canna 'black knight'

Canna 'Black Knight' is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Canna 'Black Knight' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is canna 'black knight' cold hardy?

Canna 'Black Knight' is half-hardy (RHS H3). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 7-11 (mulch heavily in zone 7; lift in zones 6 and colder) (and sheltered UK gardens) canna 'black knight' can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature canna 'black knight' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −5 to 1 °C — a light, short frost only. Canna 'Black Knight' shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is canna 'black knight'?

Canna 'Black Knight' is rated USDA 7-11 (mulch heavily in zone 7; lift in zones 6 and colder) and RHS H3 — Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze.

Can canna 'black knight' survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 7-11 (mulch heavily in zone 7; lift in zones 6 and colder) or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect canna 'black knight' from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.