A to Z of Caladiums: Plant profile, bloom time, maintenance

Caladiums are tropical plants that are grown for their bright and colorful foliage. Although plants of the Amazon basin, they grow fast as houseplants and fit well into summer beds, borders, shade and humid places.

Caladium – Plant Information: Caladiums are one of the most common plants grown all over the world. As they are of the tropical kind, they survive only in dry and humid conditions, and die during winter.

Botanical Name: Caladium X Hortulanum/Caladium bicolor

Common Name: Caladiums, Elephant Ears, Angel wings etc

Plant Category: Perennial bulbs that grow in tropical climates, especially in zones 9 – 11. They do not survive winters beyond zone 7.

Size: 18-24” H, width varies with cultivars and age of the bulb. Dwarf varieties of cultivars are sized between 8 – 12”

Bloom Period, Color, Shape: Caladiums are grown from frost to frost. They are grown specially for their foliage which come in different colors – green, white, salmon, pink, red and almost every possible combination. The leaves can be arrow-shaped, lance-shaped or even triangular.

Growth Habit: Caladiums are available from only one feet height. They grow up to three and a half feet and can spread for about 2 feet. As mentioned earlier, caladiums grow from frost to frost, with summer being the prime bloom time.

Maintenance: If you want to treat them as perennials, then you need to dig out the bulbs and store them in warm temperatures for winter. Else, the bulbs will rot and the plant will die as annuals. Caladium bulbs can rot if the weather is too cold or if the soil is too soggy or wet. They need moist conditions and well-draining soil to grow properly.

Problems: Caladiums do not grow properly if the conditions are not adequate. Gardeners should aim for the ideal conditions. Fertilizer can be applied once a month for keeping away spider mates and other pests.

Caladium – Design Tips: Caladiums are spectacular plants for decorating indoors, gardens and flower beds. With their vibrant and lively colors, they add excitement to any place they occupy. They work well when placed in shade gardens, dark corners or in places where they can enhance already existing plant varieties. They grow well in containers. They go well with ferns and other textured plants like spiky-leaved plants, ornamental plants, tall grasses, irises, fuchsias and impatiens.

Caladium – Varieties: Caladiums come in various types. There are white caladiums, red caladiums, green ones, pinks that come in combination of red, green, cream and white shades. Some popular white caladiums are Garden White, June Bride, White Queen, Aaron Caladium, White Christmas, Candidum etc. A few popular red caladiums are Brandywine Red, Freida Hemple, Postman Joyner, Fire Chief, Fannie Munson, Florida Cardinal, Red Flash etc.