Achira (edible canna)
Canna edulis
Starchy rhizomes on a canna lily; the Andean arrowroot.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 7 ft tall, 3 ft wide
Harvest: October to December
From: Andes
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Andean highlands, Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 8 to 11.
The story
Achira has been grown in the Andes for 4,000 years, its starchy rhizomes found in coastal Peruvian graves; it was a staple before the potato and is still baked in pits in Colombia and made into bizcochos de achira. Vietnam grows it for glass noodles.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, rich moist soil, and warmth; plant rhizome pieces after frost. A canna lily to 7 feet with red flowers.
Growing
Water and feed generously; it grows like an ornamental canna. Dig and store rhizomes in cold climates.
Harvest and use
Dig rhizomes after six to ten months, when the leaves yellow; bake or boil, or grate for starch. Young shoots are a vegetable.
What to watch for
Canna leaf roller and frost.
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More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
- Ulluco
- Rhodiola (golden root)
- Lotus (root and seeds)
- Elephant foot yam (suran)
- Tulsi (holy basil)
- Drumstick (moringa, for pods)
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home