A neighbor gave me a bag of bulbs that her son gave her from his garden. She doesn't know what they are but said he told her the flowers are beautiful. He didn't know what they are either as they were there before he bought the house. He dug out the bed they were in because they were overcrowded. I've been gardening 60 years and thought I saw it all, but this has me totally stumped. I think it might be some kind of iris, but I haven't been able to figure out which, though I know it's not Dutch, German, or Siberian. I also know it is not Daylilies either. Does anyone have a clue what this could possibly be? Pics included. Thanks.

Reminds me of a canna tuber

I second RJ, those are Canna rhizomes

Hmmm... that's strange because we live in zone 4B. I never grew Canna because I always read that it is a tropical plant that you have to lift in the fall and replant every spring. This is very strange. He is going to plant them in his mother's garden this upcoming weekend. I guess he doesn't realize this. I don't know when he bought the house either. It could have been this past spring and maybe the previous owner put them in the ground right before the house sold. IDK. I'll have to ask my neighbor.
So, if they are Canna, a few questions. Can I grow them in a pot? Can I keep them in an unheated raftered garage over the winter? Or is that too cold. My basement is always at 60 degrees year round. Is that too warm?

They grow fine in large pots. They won't need watering unless they start to grow.
Unless it stays above 25* in the garage, put them in the basement. It's a little higher than ideal but at least they won't freeze. As long as it's dark they should stay dormant.
Unfortunately on my computer they get smaller when I click on the pictures, but they look more Lily-ish to me. I would expect longer rhizomes.

I also agree Canna
they normally freeze over winter and have to be dug.
....of course there are always exceptions
in my zone 5 there was an all brick house with basement and a few tubers would survive along the house foundation
Maybe that is why they are small. (survivors)

Isn't this a fun mystery? They look like Cannas to me too.

Will Cannas survive frozen ground?

No, that's why it's mysterious.

lovetogarden! I live in a 4b zone, grow all of my canna's and ginger's in containers, after a freeze I cut the tops off and put them in my basement which averages around 55 degrees, provide them with a little water monthly, bring them out in the spring and they are good to go.

If they are Cannas, and were growing adjacent to a structure with a basement, that could explain the out-of-zone survival. The area right against a basement wall can be warm enough so that the ground doesn't freeze. That's all that is necessary for Canna survival, AFAIK, unfrozen ground.

Thank you so much everyone. I haven't seen my neighbor, she's been out all day, but her son is supposed to come to her house and put some in for her this weekend. I'll try to find out more info about it when I do - like did these survive the winter outside at his house, were they against a wall, etc? I'll also show him a pictures of Canna flowers and see if that what he is talking about. I'll get back with any updates.
Just want to add that if they are Canna, and are gigantic, then I'll have no place for them here as I now have a small garden that is already pretty crammed packed and bursting at the seams. I'd have to put them in pots if I were to grow them.

There are shorter cannas that you can get as well, 2'-3' tall, if you're interested in having a shorter variety.

If you can't use them, somebody will probably want them. I can't wait to hear more about where these came from.

I agree, they are canna. Nice sized tubers too, from what I can see.

Go back to original description, I see nothing that is sure they were there thru a winter in that zone.
Canna

That's true. We don't know when he bought the house.

He apparently dug out the bed because they were overcrowded, which doesn't sound like they were just planted this year....

sooby said: He apparently dug out the bed because they were overcrowded, which doesn't sound like they were just planted this year....

Having been digging my cannas today, I disagree. One can plant too close initially in spring and they get overcrowded by fall. I don't mean to be difficult - just accurate. And we are assuming HIS definition of overcrowded is what our individual ones are.

I agree it does depend on his definition, but the reason I was thinking it was unlikely from this year was because it is Zone 4 and I haven't seen them do that here in my Zone 4 where the season is quite short.

I wonder if we can get some pics next to a ruler or something to give an idea of size?