Canna lilies ( Canna x generalis ) are big , ornamental flowers . Native to Africa , these tropic plant life thrive in tender temperatures but are not frost - tolerant . In the winter , their tubers require to be dug up and stored until the earth warms up in the outflow . worthy for their tall , showy flower and foliage , these plants have another talent besides looking pretty : They can filter water .

Function

Canna lily have heavyset masses of roots that form as a filter . The antecedent also provide a home for beneficial organisms . As urine forces its way past the solution , the organism live there break down harmful pollutants . The excretions produced by the organisms , which are healthy for the plant life , are then absorbed by the flora ’s roots , help the canna to grow and expand .

Pollutants and Uses

canna take out toxic heavy metals , nitrogen , phosphorous and radioactive nuclides , among other pollutant . Fill a drain ditch with canna lily to clean violent storm runoff , or in areas where implosion therapy occurs on a regular ground . White canna are particularly at home in boggy areas , accord to the University of Minnesota Extension . Or , employ them to filter water from a septic tank .

Benefits

The use of canna lilies as a works filter is not only a beautiful solution , but a monetary value - effective one . These cheap plant will bloom year after twelvemonth with right care and are a much less expensive way to scavenge water than man - made options . The plants have other wellness benefits as well . The magnanimous , all-embracing leaves release both oxygen and water ( through the mental process of transpiration ) into the air , creating a sound environment .

Considerations

It is n’t just homeowners who can profit from the canna ’s filtration property . Large corp also expend ornamentalal plant — including canna lily — along with marsh plants to filter waste water . For example , a glasshouse in California use these industrial plant to remove fertilizers and pesticide from their water supply runoff . The plants act as a roadblock between the water from the nursery and the natural waterways that finally run out to Newport Bay . By the clock time the nursery ’s water touch the rude waterways , it has been filtered through the canna lilies and is destitute of chemicals and pollutants .

Other Plant Filters

Other plants work just as well as canna to filtrate water . Wetland plants such as Reed and cattails absorb toxic pollutants and excess fertilizers , including N and phosphoric . Elephant ears and pennyworts , like canna lilies , are other water - loving decorative plant life that also remove pollutants .

References

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