Cannas can be described in three words: big, bold, and beautiful. Red Velvet canna lives up to those standards. It can reach 3 feet tall, produces red flowers from summer through fall, and has burgundy lance-shaped leaves resembling those of a banana plant. Cannas love heat and humidity. Plant in a sunny location in rich, consistently moist soil and remove dead flowers to encourage reblooming. Cannas are not hardy in the Chicago area; the bulbs should be dug up in the fall, stored in a cool, dry place during the winter, and replanted in the spring after all threat of frost has passed.