Caladiums add an exotic touch to the yard and garden

What colorful backyard tropical is related to a plant that is a staple, worldwide food source? Interestingly, this plant, though part of a family of plants that feed millions around the world, is poisonous.

Is your curiosity piqued?

This colorful beauty is the caladium and it is a close cousin to the taro plant used by many cultures as a food source. With its large, arrow-shaped leaves and wide variety of colors and patterns, it is an exciting addition to any shady area of the yard or garden. It also does very well in pots and can be grown with other blooming annuals to create a container that would brighten up any drab spot on a porch or patio.

Caladiums are native to the tropical areas of South America but they can be grown in Northwest Ohio during our summer growing season. Garden centers carry caladiums as dormant tubers or growing as potted plants. Whichever you choose, do not plant the caladiums outside until soil temperatures are constant at 70 degrees. Planting the tubers when the soil is too cool will cause them to rot before they have a chance to sprout.

An ideal spot to place the tubers is in warm, moist soil in the light shade of a high, branched tree. Plant the tubers about 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep with the knobby side of the tuber up. A 2-inch mulch will help to conserve moisture as caladium does not like to dry out. Fertilize the plants with a dressing of 5-10-10 every four to six weeks to keep the tubers healthy and robust. They are sensitive to dry conditions, so keep them well watered.

Caladiums come in many beautiful colors and interesting patterns. Some varieties include:

• Fire Chief – dark pink;

• Florida Fantasy – a white variety with red veins;

• Gypsy Rose – features pink veins with green blotches;

• June Bride – white with green margins;

• Pink Beauty – pink with dark pink veins and green margins;

• Red Flash – dark red with fuchsia spots and green margins;

• White Queen –white with red and green veins;

• Clarice – pale cream to pink speckled with red;

• Florida Sweetheart –rose pink with frilly green margins;

• Lance Whorton – crimson veins with white blotches and green margins;

• Rosalie – red leaf and veins with green margins;

• White Wings – white with curled edges stippled green.

These are just a few of the many colors and patterns of caladiums. They are beautiful when grown together in a variety of patterns or as one variety grouped together in various spots. Websites to check for viewing various varieties or ordering tubers include www.caladiumbulbs.com, AmericanMeadows.com/Caladium-Bulbs, www.CaladiumBulbs4Less.com, http://google.com/images?q=caladium.com.

Caladiums can be over-wintered and replanted the following year. Dig the tubers in the fall before soil temperatures drop below 55 degrees. Spread them out for a week in an area that is protected from the rain or cold and out of the direct sun. Once the leaves have dried, cut them off and store the tubers in mesh, net bags or pack them loosely in dry sphagnum moss. Store them through the winter in a dry, protected area where the temperature will not fall below 60 degrees.

Caladiums, the “Backyard Tropicals,” add color, variety and a touch of the exotic to backyards and gardens. They are actually a very easy-care plant and one that can brighten up shady spots where other plants may not grow. 

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