Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Morning Eye Candy: Mistaken Identity

Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 1 2013, by Matt Newman

This canna lily cultivar has led something of a confused life. First introduced in 1898 by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co. of Naples, Italy, it wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that horticulturists began confusing ‘Roma’ with ‘Florence Vaughan’, a predecessor introduced by A. Crozy in Lyon, France around 1893. Whatever the catalyst for the mix-up (other than the obvious similarities), you’ll still see this cultivar mislabeled on shelves today.

Canna 'Florence Vaughan'

Canna ‘Roma’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen