Caladium white green veins White Christmas
Long-stalked white leaf Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas
White and green caladium White Christmas
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas', the other caladium with white foliage
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Some dream of snow at Christmas, others of adding a white Caladium to their indoor jungle. Hailing from Brazil and the rainforests of Central America, Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas' should be on your wishlist if you like foliage that's out of the ordinary.
How to recognize Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas'?
Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas' is a short, bushy plant. It grows to a maximum height and width of 50 centimetres.
Its heart-shaped leaves are supported by long petioles. Dark green veins and margins stand out against a white background with shades of pink. Thin and translucent, they can reach 35 cm long and 20 cm wide.
Because of its green and white leaf blades, Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas' is sometimes confused with caladium candidum. If you look closely, you can tell the difference. In the former, the green is not confined to the veins. It splashes onto the rest of the leaf.
In the wild, Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas' flowers in late summer. White spathes sheltering a light yellow spadix decorate the foliage. Indoors, the bloom is rather rare and not much of a gift. To attract insects, the flower gives off a rather... Annoying scent.
Whether white, like Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas', or multicolored, like caladium bicolor 'Red Flash and caladium bicolor 'Rosebud, caladiums are toxic. They cause a burning sensation when touched or ingested. They can also cause swelling of the lips and breathing difficulties. If you have pets or small children, keep the plant out of their reach.
Our maintenance tips
Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas 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 'White Christmas can also be planted outdoors, as annuals.
Watering
Water your Caladium White Christmas 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 bicolor 'White Christmas' 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 'White Christmas' 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 'White Christmas', apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
During the growing season, feed your Caladium bicolor 'White Christmas' with a green plant fertilizer.
Prune
If you grow your caladium bicolor 'White Christmas 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 bicolor 'White Christmas 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 'White Christmas, 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 bicolor 'White Christmas 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 'White Christmas 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 'White Christmas 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 |
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| Flower colors |
|
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