PlantFiles: Fancy-Leafed Caladium, Angel Wings, Heart of Jesus
Caladium bicolor

In my opinion, one of the most beautiful foliage plants!
I enjoy them very much!
Last winter i didn' t uproot them and the tubers rot.
This year i got new tubers and they look beautiful!
They can stand very hot temperatures at shade or little sun.
The leaves are very toxic and should not be touched.

I live 15 miles from Lake Placid Florida, "The Caladium Capital of the World"!! Yes, they thrive in my landscape but only in shady areas, and they like to stay moist. During drought periods they will wilt in the heat of mid-day, but after a little sprinkle of water they come back good as new! I like these plants because they can be used in pots or left in the ground through Winter. They always come back larger each Spring, and all of the different varieties to choose from, it makes it hard to make up your mind on what colors to purchase. Place caldiums around a tree and create a beautiful "ring" that bursts forth in many colors! My favorite is the red "Heart of Jesus" variety.

Caladium leaves are large, arrow shaped, long-stalked, colored in bands and blotches of red, rose, pink, white, silver, bronze, and green.

Start tubers in March or in the early spring. Pot in a mix of equal parts coarse sand, leaf mold, and ground bark or peat moss. Use 5-inch pot for 2-1/2 inch tubers, 7-inch pot for one larger or two smaller tubers. Soil temperature should be 70° Fahrenheit. Water thoroughly, keep soil moist, not wet and away from sun. Soil temperature over 85° produce more green colour and less brialliant colour. Gradually withhold water when the leaves start to die down. In winter Caladium bulbs can be stored at a temperature between 50° and 60°. Keep warm, moist, away from sun.

Caladiums are the best smmer "color" here in northern zone 10. I leave them in the ground all year, and while they eventially die back in February, they come roaring back in March--both bigger leaves and more numerous plants. If you live in or near the area, you might want to catch the 13th annual caladium festival in Lake Placid, FL, this August. A Google search will fetch the details.

Tubers can be broken into fairly small pieces to quickly multiply the number of plants.

Tubers must be dried and stored in cool, very dry conditions during winter. They can also be grown in pots indoors; a dormant period is self-induced from time to time.

Plants in active growth can be grown in pots partially submerged in water for bigger and more abundant foliage.

Flowers are fairly insiginifant, and saving seed will result in young plants significantly different from the parent. This can lead to exciting new variations.

Tuberous perennials are native to South America. Caladiums are grown for their beautiful variegated foliage, which may be lance, heart, or arrow-shaped. Colors range from green and white, green and red, white with red blotches or green veins and some have lavender spots; named cultivars are widely available.

Plant when soil warms and night temperatures are above 55 degrees. For earliest foliage, place each tuber in a plastic pot with good garden soil. Water well and place in warm, well-lit location. Remove from pot and plant outdoors when weather warms sufficiently. Tubers can be dug up and stored in colder climates.