Canna glauca

Native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, this perennial wetland herb grows in marshes, ponds, and swamps. Its unbranched stems reach about 3 feet tall, with long, narrow, gray-green leaves clasping their bases. Upright clusters bear yellow flowers about 3 to 4 inches long. Rounded capsules release numerous seeds when mature. Underground rhizomes allow it to spread into clumps and provide starchy food traditionally eaten in Andean South America. It is also grown ornamentally beside ponds and in shallow freshwater. Photographed in Florida.