Caladium bicolore, foliage in a thousand colors
Caladium bicolor
- Exposures
- Sun, Half-shade
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 11a (4.4°C ≤ T° < 7.2°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Family
- Araceae
- Genus
- Caladium
- Species
- Caladium bicolor
Other name:Caladium x hortulanum
Long reserved for the forests of South America, Caladium bicolore is now making its way into our homes. The foliage of this root has the power to transform any living room into a tropical jungle.
How to recognize Caladium bicolor?
Caladium bicolor is a tuberous perennial with a bushy habit. It can reach a metre in height with a 60-centimetre spread.
In the absence of stems, its deciduous foliage is supported by long petioles. Thin and almost translucent, the leaves are arrow-, heart- or shield-shaped. They measure up to 45 centimetres long and 15 centimetres wide.
Bicolored caladiums have green leaf blades with light-green, pink, white, red or cream patterns. caladium bicolor 'Red Flash combines all these shades, while caladium candidum and caladium bicolor 'White Christmas are content with white leaves veined with dark green.
Flowers bloom in late summer. Flowering, a cone-shaped spathe with a short spadix, lasts just a few days. Concealed beneath the abundant foliage, the inflorescence could go unnoticed. But watch out for its fragrance! To attract pollinating insects, Caladium bicolore gives off a scent that's sometimes fruity, sometimes fetid. But rest assured, the plant rarely blooms indoors!
The smell of the flowers is not the only fault with this perennial. Like other Araceae, Caladium bicolore is toxic if touched or ingested. Remember to wear gloves when handling it, and keep it out of reach of young children and pets.
Our care tips
Caladium bicolor are demanding plants. They like humidity, but cannot tolerate excess water. They like light, but not direct sunlight. And above all, they fear cold and draughts.
Grown as indoor plants, caladium bicolor can also be planted outdoors, as annuals.
Watering
Water your Caladium bicolore when the soil is dry on the surface, using non-calcareous water. The soil should remain slightly moist and fresh, especially in summer. But it must not be waterlogged, otherwise the roots may rot.
Misting
Spray foliage with water at room temperature. Use rainwater or non-calcareous water to avoid the appearance of white spots.
Repotting
Every year in the spring, repot your Caladium bicolor to give it more space.
Examine the condition of your bulbs. They should be healthy, with no signs of mold or disease. A healthy tuber can be recognized by its firm appearance and buds. If you detect any soft spots, cut them out with a clean, sharp knife.
You should also be able to see the direction of the bulb. When planting, the roots should point towards the bottom of the pot, with the eye towards the surface.
Soak the tubers in water for a few hours.
Prepare a perforated pot at least 15 cm in diameter. Line the bottom with a bed of gravel or clay balls for drainage. Then pour in potting soil for green plants. Add a handful of heather or peat moss to enrich the soil.
Don't bury the bulbs completely. They should be flush with the surface. For a fuller plant, you can arrange several tubers in the same pot.
Set up your Caladium bicolor in a room with a temperature of between 20 and 25°. Choose a bright location, away from direct sunlight and draughts.
To increase humidity, place your bulbs in a greenhouse or under a transparent cloche.
Fertilization
To promote the growth of your Caladium bicolor, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
During the growing season, feed your Caladium bicolor with a green plant fertilizer.
Prune
If you grow your Caladium bicolor for its foliage, remove the flowers when they appear. Flowering requires a lot of energy and is detrimental to the development of new leaves. Prune the inflorescence at the base with clean pruning shears.
Remove dry leaves to prevent the spread of disease.
Caution! The plant is toxic. Wear gloves when pruning to protect yourself.
Planting
When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.
Choose a spot in partial shade, sheltered from the wind. Caladium bicolor likes slightly acid soil. To please them, add a little heather to your garden soil.
Look at your tuber. Locate the rounded part, the eye. It should point upwards. The flatter surface, which gives rise to the roots, should point downwards.
Dig a hole five centimetres deep and plant your bulb. Cover with a layer of soil. If you're planting several caladium bicolor, space them out by fifteen centimetres.
Taking cuttings
Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.
Identify the young tubers that have formed around the main bulb and check that each one has at least one bud and a few roots. Gently detach them from the mother plant by separating them by hand or using a sharp, pre-disinfected tool, such as a knife.
In a pierced pot, pour a layer of clay balls or gravel for drainage.
Caladium bicolor plants like light, acid soil. Mix potting soil for green plants with a third of heather soil and add perlite.
Plant your cuttings in the center and fill in with substrate. Pack lightly and water for the first time to encourage rooting.
Store your cuttings in a room with a temperature of at least 20°C.
Store your cuttings in a room with a temperature of at least 20°C.
Wintering
Caladium bicolor are naturally at rest. When you notice that your plant is wilting and no longer producing new leaves, you can help it to go into dormancy.
Caladium bicolor need a period of rest. When all the leaves have faded, cut the stems short and dig up the bulbs.
Place the tubers in sand or newspaper. Store them in a dry, dark place, such as your garage or cellar.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Exposures
- SunHalf-shade
- Substrate
- Humus soil
- Planting methods
- Open groundIn potsIn tubsPlanter
- Categories
- IndoorBulbHerbaceous
- Tags
- Cold-sensitiveThirstyToxic
- Origins
- Central AmericaSouth America
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 11a (4.4°C ≤ T° < 7.2°C)
- Leaf colors
- Dark greenLight greenWhiteRedRosePale pinkPale greenCream
- Flower colors
- WhitePale yellowCream
Discover plants from the same family
Caladium White Queen
Caladium bicolor 'White Queen'
Caladium Red Flash
Caladium bicolor 'Red Flash'
Caladium Rosebud
Caladium bicolor 'Rosebud'
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
