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Ahhhh….. Escape to the tropics with every stroll through your garden. Luscious reds glow in shaded oases. Magenta, rose and pink flow through dappled light. Burgundy and gold glisten in morning’s first light. Clearest white gleams in both sun and shadow. Months of lavish color will blanket your garden beds throughout the heat of summer and well into late fall. Bright hues fill containers, adorn hanging baskets and beam for weeks in the vase. Don’t look for amazing flowers this time – with caladiums, it is the leaves that have the star power! All too often, we gardeners are seduced by beautiful blooms into creating a landscape that is work-intensive, with a payoff lasting just weeks, a few times per year. For a garden with structure, form and grace, year-round appeal and the ability to support fabulous flowers without fading when they do – focus on the foliage. Whether this has been your philosophy for years, or the concept seems brand new, caladiums really prove the point. Boasting a variety of forms, caladiums are generally divided into the categories of Fancy and Strap leafed. Fancy caladiums have large, heart-shaped leaves held on sturdy stems to a height of 15 to 22 inches. The edges of the leaves may be frilly, wavy or smooth. Most prefer warm filtered shade or morning light relieved by afternoon shade. ‘Aaron’, pictured above, is a wonderful example of this variety. Hybridizers are seeking greater sun tolerance for these beauties, and have achieved it with White Queen and Red Flash, which perform well in full sun as well as partial shade. The Strap side of the family is somewhat smaller, 12-14 inches, with elongated hearts or lance-like leaves. All of these varieties tolerate a good deal of sun, requiring filtered shade only in the hottest regions. Excellent examples include Sweetheart and Red Ruffles. As their names tend to imply, caladiums truly excel when it comes to color. Speckles, sparkles and starbursts abound in vivid, contrasting hues to rival any flower. The patterns are endless as solid scarlet seeps into the deep green margin in Postman Joyner, vivid emerald veining contrasts in White Christmas, and deep rose bursts in the center of each medium green Cardinal leaf. This rich variety of color is a good indication of the plant’s satisfaction with its lighting conditions. The colors tend to fade if the sun is too intense, with new leaves reverting to full color once offered more protection. Native to the tropics of South America, caladiums thrive in the hot, humid conditions that cause others to wilt. Tubers are best planted in rich soil with generous moisture. When soil temperatures reach 65 degrees, plant your caladium tubers no more than 2 inches deep, with the eyes facing up. As temperatures warm, bouquets of vibrant foliage emerge and flourish throughout summer and fall. When winter’s chill approaches, lift the tubers and allow to air dry before storing them in peat moss, where they will await the following spring. For more information about planting and growing flower bulbs and plants. Easy To Grow Bulbs Tips from EasyToGrowBulbs.com, an online venue for home gardeners seeking the biggest, best bulbs for their warm weather gardens. For more information and helpful planting guides.
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