Caladium Bulb Plant Profile

Caladiums are bright accents of color when planted singly, but make a tremendous effect when planted in masses in the shade garden.

Cultivation Information and How to Grow Caladium

Botanical and Common Name: The caladium hybrids most commonly grown in garden landscapes are Caladium x hortulanum.

Plant Category: Caladiums are tender perennial bulbs that will not survive winters beyond zone 7.

Bloom Time and Color: Since the caladium flowers are hidden by the leaves, and nondescript, the caladium plants are grown for their foliage color and broad leaves.

Foliage: Caladium leaves come in green, white, salmon, pink, red and almost any possible combination of those colors in variegated forms. The leaf shape can be arrow, lance, heart shaped, or triangular.

Growth Habit: Caladium bulbs grow in clumps of foliage that lasts from frost to frost.

Dimensions: Caladiums are available from only 1 foot tall and go up to 3 1/2 feet tall with a spread of about 2 feet.

Maintenance: Caladiums require little maintenance to grow through the year. If gardeners want to treat them as perennials and overwinter them, the bulbs will need to be dug up and stored in a sheltered location during the cold season.

Pests or Diseases: Caladium bulbs can rot if the ground is too soggy, so gardeners should provide well-draining soil

Propagation Methods:Caladiums are propagated by dividing the fleshy, bulb-like tubers, in the fall.

Using Caladiums in the Garden

Preferred Conditions: Caladiums tolerate partial to full shade and prefer moist, well-drained soil.

Companion Plants: Plant caladiums with other shade plants such as hellebores, hostas, or polka-dot plants.

Seasons of Interest: Caladium foliage is attractive from midspring to the first frost of winter.

Uses in the Garden: Use caladium plants in containers, shade gardens, foliage gardens, or wherever long-lasting color is needed.

Caladium Cultivars and Varieties

Beautiful color variations are available to home gardeners who want to add caladium bulbs to their landscape. All of the following caladium bulb varieties mix and match together well and look great planted in masses. Gardeners can purchase several of one color caladium, or many different caladium varieties to plant together.

• ‘White Christmas’ Caladium – This popular caladium selection has bright white leaves with dark green viening throughout, and reaches 12 to 24 inches tall. According to Caladium World, the White Christmas Caladium will tolerate more sun than many of the other caladium cultivars.
• ‘White Queen’ Caladium – Another sun tolerant caladium, this cultivar has pale whiteish leaves with red veins.
• ‘Rosebud’ Caladium – This caladium bulb has beautiful tri-color foliage with a pink center, then a white stripe around the leaf, before the green edging. A beautiful caladium that grows about 18 to 24 inches tall.
• ‘Sweetheart’ Caladium – Bright pink leaves that are almost completely pink-red with thin green edges. These caladiums are a spotlight of color for the shade garden.
• ‘Jackie Suthers’ Caladium – This dwarf caladium bulb has lance-shaped leaves with huge dark green margins and white centers. The effect is charming and the small size makes this a nice caladium choice for containers.

However a gardener chooses to use caladium plants in their landscape, they are assured colorful and long-lasting foliage for non-stop color in the garden.