This high-performing, extra-fancy caladium grows well in shade, part shade, or full sun. Carolyn Whorton's dark green leaves are splashed with lipstick pink and have bright red midribs. Plant in spring and enjoy months of easy color anywhere around your home.
Growing Caladiums: Caladiums are beautiful natives of the South American Rain Forests. With their brilliant colors in fascinating designs and large heart-shaped leaves, they've become landscape favorites, especially since they are perfect for shaded areas.
They're very easy to grow, but you must take care and remember that they are tropical. This means you can't plant your tubers until the ground has warmed up in spring. In the south, that means May. In the midwest and north, it means from mid-May until mid-June. Planting in cold soil will stunt your Caladiums, and you don't want to do that.
Great for pots. The cold sensitivity of Caladiums is why they've become big favorites for pots, baskets, and patio planters. If you start them indoors, you can simply put the pots outside once your weather is warm. And in fall, the pots make everything simple. Once your first cold snap wilts the leaves in fall, simply bring your pots inside, let the tops die down, and keep them as they are (in a non-freezing area) until spring, and put them out again.
Transplanting Instructions: Use well-draining potting soil with high organic content. If planting in 4 or 6" pots this variety can be "de-eyed" to increase leaf count and uniformity. Place bulbs flat side down with eyes facing up and cover bulbs with 1.5-2" of soil. Water well.
Fancy leaf caladiums require loose, slightly acidic soil for good root growth and are heavy feeders. Before planting, dig in plenty of peat or pine bark to take care of the first two requirements and add a good dose (1 tbs/plant) of 10-10-10 fertilizer. Plant your tubers 2 to 8 inches (5-20 cm.) apart, depending on size. A fancy leaf caladium’s tubers need warm, about 70 degrees F. (21 C.) soil to grow. If the soil is too cool, the bulbs tend to rot.
In order to thrive, the soil conditions should mimic the soil that “angel wings” grow in their native environment; rich, moist, and well-draining. For the best results, mix a form of organic matter into the soil, such as compost.
USDA Zone: 3-10
Climate: Tropical Wet
Common Name: Elephant Ear
Color: Green, Pink
Season of Interest: Spring, Summer
Type: Bulbs
Life Cycle: Perennial
Watering: Medium
Genus: Caladium
Sunlight: Partial Shade
Features: Dwarf
Cultivating Difficulty: Very Easy
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