Canna Lily overwintered and growing - what should I do?

I have overwintered a Canna lily indoors, whilst it continued flowering after frosts outside.





As they are normally overwintered dry and dormant, I'm unsure whether I should let it continue growing, or now let it die back. I assume it could be less of a shock if it's dormant and divided, rather than me dividing it up, whilst growing.





Anyone overwintered Cannas that are growing / divided growing Cannas? Would appreciate your recommendations - thank you.

Canna Lily overwintered and growing - what should I do?
Canna are tremendously hardy plants. Last month I took the power hedge clippers and ran it across the whole lot of them, 50 or more plants, about 6" from the ground and they're already shooting back up. I've also divided them mid summer, chopped them down to with in 6" of the ground and they came back like gang busters. My point is that it probably makes little difference either way. I'm in Southern California and last night it was 36F. For more information on Canna and other plants check out www.davesgarden.com
Reply:You don't say where you live, and how much, or how severe, your winters are. No, they're not winter-hardy, but they are tough. I usually dig mine up AFTER a freeze kills all the top growth. Actually, I procrastinated so much this year, that I didn't dig them up until January. We had already had several snows, and lots of freezing temps, though nothing below 10F at the time I dug them. They were fine. If I leave them in the ground through the winter, when we commonly get periods of temps around 0F, then the corms will freeze and turn to mush.





I keep them in an unheated room - cool, dry, dark - for the winter.





I don't know if they NEED the dormancy period though...If no one gives you a definitive answer, I would try keeping a couple growing through the winter inside the house, and store the rest. Just see if they have a preference.





As for dividing...since I have to lift them each winter, I divide them at that time, usually what I dig up is nearly twice as many roots as I planted, and they usually break on their own at weak points, when I'm pulling them up.