How to Store Canna Rhizomes Over Winter

Cannas are tender, so in cool climates the rhizomes need lifting before the first frost and storing somewhere frost-free until spring. Get the drying right and they keep for months.

Cannas give a bold, tropical look from a fleshy underground rhizome, but they are not hardy in cold climates. Left in the ground through a frost, the rhizomes turn to mush. So if you want the same plants again next year — rather than buying new ones each spring — you need to lift the rhizomes and store them somewhere cool and frost-free.

It is a straightforward job, and the rules are the same ones that apply to other tender rhizomes: let the tops die back, dry the rhizomes properly, and keep them cool and dry but not frozen.

When to lift

Wait until the first frost has blackened the foliage, or lift just before a forecast frost if you would rather not risk it. Once the leaves are cut by cold, the plant stops growing and the rhizome is ready to rest. Lifting before the foliage has finished means the rhizome has not stored as much energy, so it keeps less well.

If you garden where winters are mild and the soil is free-draining, you may be able to leave cannas in the ground with a thick mulch over the crown. Elsewhere, lifting is the safe option.

Lifting and cleaning

Cut the stems back. Once the foliage has died, cut the stems down to about 10–15 cm above the rhizome.
Fork the clump out. Lift the whole mass of rhizomes with a fork, working underneath so you do not slice into them.
Shake off the soil. Knock off the loose earth but do not wash the rhizomes. Extra moisture at this stage encourages rot in storage.
Trim and inspect. Cut away any soft, damaged or rotten sections. A healthy rhizome is firm and pale. Leave small offsets — baby rhizomes — attached; they grow on next year.

Drying before storage

This is the step people rush, and it is the one that decides whether the rhizomes keep. Spread them in a single layer somewhere cool, dry and airy, out of direct sun, for a week or two until the cut surfaces have calloused and the skin feels dry. Do not stack them while they dry — air needs to move around each one. Rushing the drying is the main cause of a mouldy, rotten store.

How to store

Method	How	Best for
Dry box	Lay rhizomes in a box of dry compost, vermiculite or newspaper, so they do not touch.	Most home gardeners.
Paper bags	Store a few rhizomes per perforated paper bag, loosely.	Small quantities.
Pots of dry compost	Pot them up and keep the compost almost dry until spring.	Getting a head start in spring.

Keep the store cool — ideally around 5–10°C — and frost-free. A garage, shed or cool spare room works well. Check once a month and remove anything that has gone soft or furry; one rotting rhizome can spoil the rest.

Bringing them back in spring

Start the rhizomes into growth in late winter or early spring, once the risk of hard frost has passed and light is returning. Pot them into fresh compost somewhere warm and bright, water lightly, and let them wake up. The old stems will push new shoots from the eyes on the rhizome. Harden them off before planting out, once the soil has warmed.

Mistakes to avoid

Storing before the rhizomes are dry. Damp rhizomes rot in the box. Give them the full drying time.
Stacking them. Rhizomes piled together trap moisture and go mouldy. Keep them in a single layer or separated.
Storing somewhere too warm. Warmth wakes them into premature growth. Aim for cool but frost-free.
Forgetting to check. A monthly look lets you remove a rotten rhizome before it spoils the batch.

Can I leave cannas in the ground?

Only where winters are mild and the soil drains well, and even then with a deep mulch over the crown. In cold or wet gardens, lift them.

What if the rhizomes start to shrivel in storage?

They have dried too far or the air is too warm. A slightly shrivelled rhizome may still revive in spring; pot it up early and water gently.

Tools for this guide

Bulb planting calculator

Sources and research notes

Overwintering method follows UK horticultural guidance for tender rhizomes. Timings vary with local climate.

Written and edited by the Seedledge Editorial. Every guide answers one real growing question, is checked against the sources listed above, and is updated when guidance changes. We are an independent editorial desk, not horticultural professionals — read how we research and update our guides.