Always Follow These General Rules When Cutting Back Canna Lilies
Chris is a gardening writer and nature enthusiast. He graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2022 with an MA in Psychology. Chris works with the Leeds Green Action Society, helping their food cooperative by growing various fruit and vegetables on their two allotments in Hyde Park, Leeds.
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Dan has over 27 years’ under his belt caring for plants and gardens. Working as a Horticultural Instructor and Consultant, he draws on a diverse range of experience that includes working as a Head Gardener, Tree Surgeon, Garden Centre Trouble Shooter, and writer of academic papers. Dan has a Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture and is currently a candidate for the RHS’s most prestigious award – The Master of Horticulture.
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Emily is a Gardening Writer, Photographer and Videographer from Derbyshire, UK. She is the Founder of Emily's Green Diary - a community of more than 75,000 people who share in her gardening journey.
IN THIS GUIDE
Canna lilies originally hail from the warm climate of Mexico, and are now found worldwide.
These plants like light and water in summer and dryness over winter: so make sure to bring them in when the weather gets cold.
Pruning canna lilies brings a couple of benefits:
- Firstly it removes unsightly dead or dying foliage from the plant; and secondly, it gives space for healthy new foliage to grow in its place.
- Pruning is also a great way to reset the plant each year to facilitate stronger growth in the following season.
It’s easy to prune canna lilies. Here are the general rules, and we’ll go into more detail on the pruning process below:
- Outdoor plants in cold climates will die back in winter so you can prune aggressively and they’ll regrow next year
- Indoor plants benefit from pruning throughout the year
- Cut dead leaves where they meet the stem, rather than cutting the stem
- You can trim entire leaves or sections of leaves, depending on the condition
- When pruning spent flowers you should go down to the node
When To Cut Back Canna Lilies
You can prune canna lilies throughout the year when they need a little spruce up.
You should also prune them back hard as winter is setting in.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Scissors or secateurs (shears) |
| When To Prune | Typically late Autumn |
1) Check Plant Condition
When pruning canna lilies you’re looking for unhealthy leaves or leaf sections.
Brown, wilted areas of healthy leaves can be pruned off without damaging the remainder, giving your plant an overall healthier appearance.
You can also remove entire leaves if the whole thing is looking worse for wear.
If all foliage is brown, you may be better off resetting the plant for the next season (see step four).
If your canna lily is in bloom, you can prune back flowers that are on their way out to promote new growth in their place.
In this first step, just give your plant a visual once-over to figure out what needs doing.
2) Save Any Seed Pods
If a canna lily has finished blooming and created seed pods, you can save and replant these for future growth.
On canna lilies that look worse for wear – the whole plant may be brown – grab the seed pods and set them aside.
Now, if you’re pruning during the year to spruce up your plant a little bit, read step three.
If winter is coming and you’re pruning harder, jump to step four.
3) Carefully Cut Sections
Once you’ve identified the areas that need attention and have saved the seed pods, you can begin pruning.
For leaves it’s simple: just use scissors or shears to remove the desired area. Cut carefully and don’t remove the entire leaf.
For flowers, cut the entire stem down to the node where it meets the main stem.
4) Cut Your Canna Right Back
Canna lilies can take aggressive pruning, and doing this in winter resets your plant and stands it in good stead to grow back strong next year.
Watering and fertilising your canna lily (use a high nitrogen fertiliser) when you prune it back hard helps to encourage healthy growth.
