Caladiums - Tropical Perennials to Light Up Every Shade Garden
By Marie Iannotti, About.com Guide
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Caladiums break the rule that all foliage house plants are decorative year-round. This tuberous- rooted hybrid dies down in fall and remains dormant through the winter.
Caladiums
Caladiums are tropical plants growing from tubers, most known for their colorful foliage, and used as a houseplant or summer bedding plant.
About This Plant
Any garden with a shady location has a perfect spot for caladiums.
Caladiums are tuber-rooted tropical perennials grown for their large and showy leaves. Caladiums have no stems; the leaves are borne on long leaf stems that arise directly from the underground tuber.
Caladiums fall into two groups: fancy leafed (heart shaped) and lance leafed (arrow shaped). They are primarily grown for their attractive foliage and prefer indoor temperatures of 65-75 degrees F (18.3-24 C).
Caladiums are a seasonal plant even in the tropics, where gardeners plant them in the spring and summer months when they'll thrive in the heat and wet.
Caladiums are tropical foliage plants that provide a splash of color in summer flower beds. They grow well in shaded areas, containers, hanging baskets, and as borders.
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Caladiums are tropical foliage plants grown for their spectacular, multicolored decorative leaves. They are used as pot, border and bedding plants throughout South Carolina to provide summer color in shady locations.
Height/Spread ...
Caladiums are often chosen for their foliage, which can be white, pink, red or green. These plants do best in shady areas or containers and prefer a highly organic, moist growing medium.
Caladiums are more popular every spring, as gardeners learn they are one of the easiest ways to add season-long color to shady areas.
Caladiums grow from corms and can be propagated by dividing the tubers. They are hardy only to USDA plant hardiness zone 10; in colder areas, they are typically grown as tender bulbs or as houseplants.
The fancy leaf caladiums are divided in 3 categories, red, pink, and white. the leaves measure typically between 8 and 12 inches long (20 to 30 cm), but can be much bigger.
Description:
Caladiums are never sold in solid green foliaged form - they are always interspersed with vivid color patterns that serve to brighten a darkened area of the landscape.
With large, brilliantly-colored, heart-shaped leaves, Caladiums add form and texture to bright-shade gardens. Many named varieties come in bold color combinations of red, rose, pink, green, silver and white, often with dark veins in the leaves.
It shimmers from a distance and blends beautifully with impatiens, begonias, and caladiums in mixed containers. Introduced in 2006.
Noteworthy characteristics: Golden fronds; compact form; great in containers.
caladiums, while cacti and succulents require less water than those of ordinary character. The maximum quantity of water is required while plants are in full growth and producing flowers and fruit.
Lantanas love the heat, so plant them when you plant caladiums, not cool soil tolerant plants such as petunia and snapdragon.
Although the moniker elephant ear is broadly used to describe many different tropical plants with heart-shaped leaves-including caladiums-it's typically the common name for Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma.
Summer-flowering bulbs include alliums, lilies, caladiums and cannas. Less well-known fall-blooming bulbs, such as the autumn crocus, are planted in the summer and add color to the garden at the end of the season.
they should be planted close together for a mass effect with up to six plants in each planting, preferably of the same variety for emphasis in color. These begonias combine beautifully with other shady border plants such as impatiens, caladiums, ...
 See also: Caladium, Green, Pink, May, Varieties
  
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