University of Maryland Extension: Plant of the Week
Caladium
Caladium bicolor
Text and photo by Ginny Williams
Extravagantly colored and patterned, Caladium bicolor is a tuberous rooted plant with lance shaped leaves held up by long stalks.
Growing one to three feet tall, caladiums come in attractive bi- or tri-color combinations of white, green, rose, pink, and red.
Originally from South America, they require warm temperatures to grow. In areas such as Maryland, where temperatures go below 20 degrees F, the tubers should be dug up when the foliage dies and stored at room temperature until they are replanted in the spring when temperatures are above 60 degrees F.
Caladiums prefer shade; bright sun will burn the leaves. Give them ample water and feed with a complete fertilizer during the growing period. They prefer well drained, organic soil from acid to neutral in pH.
Comments
I have fond memories of caladiums from my time as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador. Each year, after the first major rain storm of the rainy season, the shaded roadsides and gutters of the small rural village where I lived would explode with a dozen different types of caladiums. Each had a different color and pattern.
How lovely! -- Susan
Posted by: Eric P | May 31, 2011 10:41 AM
Eric P.- That is a lovely memory, indeed.
Posted by: Michelle Brown | June 1, 2011 10:31 AM