Caladium bicolor candidum green and white leaves
Close-up of white leaves with green veins Caladium candidum
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Caladium candidum, foliage with a big heart
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Native to South America, Caladium candidum has left forests and clearings to discover life as a houseplant. With its delicate, colorful foliage, this herbaceous member of the Araceae family appeals to collectors the world over.
How to recognize Caladium candidum?
A tuberous perennial, Caladium candidum is larger than caladium bicolor 'White Christmas. It measures up to 60 centimetres in all directions. The variety is aculeate and bushy.
The thin, almost transparent white leaves are veined with dark green. They are heart-shaped and can reach 45 centimetres long and 25 centimetres wide.
In the wild, they flower in late summer. Cream-colored spathes, containing a short spadix, hatch in the heart of the foliage. Indoors, the phenomenon is very rare. If your Caladium candidum offers you this spectacle, don't hesitate to remove the flowers. They exhaust the plant and give off an unpleasant odor..
Caladium candidum, like caladium bicolor, is toxic. The leaves and petioles cause skin irritation when touched. If ingested, they cause a burning sensation, swelling of the lips and difficulty in breathing. Remember to wear gloves when handling your specimen, and keep it away from pets and children.
Our maintenance tips
Caladium candidum 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 candidum can also be planted outdoors, as annuals.
Watering
Water your Caladium candidum 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.
Spray
Spray foliage with water at room temperature. Use rainwater or non-calcareous water to avoid the appearance of white spots.
Repotting
Every spring, repot your Caladium candidum 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 candidum 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 candidum, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
During the growing season, feed your Caladium candidum with a green plant fertilizer.
Prune
If you grow your caladium candidum 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.
Plantation
When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.
Choose a spot in partial shade, sheltered from the wind. Caladium candidum 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 candidum, space them out by fifteen centimetres.
Cutting
Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.
Locate young tubers with at least one bud and roots on the main bulb. Separate them from the mother plant using your hands or a clean, sharp tool such as a disinfected knife.
In a pierced pot, pour a layer of clay balls or gravel for drainage.
Caladium candidum 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 candidum 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 candidum 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
| Family | Araceae - Araceae |
| Type | Caladium - Caladium |
| Species | Caladium bicolor - Caladium bicolor |
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Exposures | |
| Substrat | |
| Planting methods |
Open ground In pots In tubs Planter |
| Categories | |
| Tags |
Fritillary Soiffarde Toxic |
| Origins |
Central America South America |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 11a |
| Leaf color |
|
| Flower colors |
|
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