Caladium Plant Care - Teak And Terracotta

Welcome to our caladium care guide… Caladiums are stunning plants that require a lot of light to keep those leaves vibrant and some seasonal care to look after their bulbs….

Caladium Plant Care Summary

Light needs:	Indirect sunlight with a little bit of direct sunlight too.
Watering needs:	Caladiums like the soil wet but not to stand in water. So keep the soil damp with regular watering.
Fertilizer:	Feed weekly in Spring and Summer using a balanced plant feed.
Soil:	Well draining, nutrient rich potting compost.
Humidity:	Higher end of household humidity.
Temperature:	20°C or 70°F is ideal.
Where to buy:	Try our list of Rare Plant Shops or Etsy.
Common issues:	Fungus, as the bulbs/tubers can rot easily.

Intro

Welcome to our caladium plant care guide. The caladium is a real beauty and much loved by indoor and outdoor plant lovers alike. Those leaves though! They grow from tubers (bulbs) that go dormant in the winter when grown outside, although if kept warm inside can grow all year round.

Tip: we recommend Etsy for buying plants. Look for the best rated seller you can, and try to buy as close to your home as possible so the plant does not travel too far.

A note about affiliate links: when you buy a plant, pots, soil, or other goods through links on this article we sometimes earn a commission. It doesn’t cost you anything, but it really helps us out if you do use them. Thanks a lot! An example of this is if you buy a plant on Etsy using this link. Read our privacy policy for more information. Thanks again.

Caladium Light Needs

Caladium love indirect sunlight with a little bit of direct sunlight too. Early morning sunlight is great for them. They can survive outside and will tolerate a some strong sunlight.

How Often to Water A Caladium

Caladiums like the soil wet but not to stand in water. So keep the soil damp with regular watering.

Caladium Fertilizer

You can fertilize caladiums in their growing period (spring and summer) every week using a balanced plant feed.

Caladium Soil

Use a well draining, nutrient rich potting compost.

When To Repot

You can repot your caladium in spring, make sure it has a good sized pot for the season ahead.

Caladium Humidity

Caladiums like the higher end of household humidity. They do well in most households to be honest.

Caladium Temperature

Caladiums like heat to grow well. 70°F or 20°C is ideal.

Why Is My Caladium Drooping?

They droop from underwatering and overwatering, so be careful about watering them well, but not lettign them get too sodden or too dry.

When Do Caladiums Go Dormant?

When the temperatures dip down to 10°C (50°F) caladium will start to die back and go dormant.

Can Caladium Grow In Water?

Caladium can grow in water. You can take tuber, clean all the soil off and then grow it in water alone.

Caladium Propagation

Caladiums need to be propagated by diving them at the tuber. It is easy when they are dormant so you can dig them up and just split them by hand and then plant them separately so they grow into separate plants.

You can also divide them when they are growing, you need to dig the plants up and divide them at the base, splitting the tuber and separating off the smaller plants.

Is It Toxic To Cats?

They are toxic to cats if eaten, and can cause vomiting and numbness. So seek vets advice immediately if your pet eats any.

Caladium Plant USDA Zone

Zones 9-11.

Where To Buy Caladiums

You can buy the bulbs or whole plants online I got mine from Etsy and Plnts.

List of Caladium Varieties And Cultivars

There are over 100 caladiums cultivars, with many having registered patents.
Here we list some of the most popular caladium varieties. My favorite is the White Queen, but the best named is definitely Frog in a Blender!

Aaron
Autumn Beauty
Blushing Bride
Bombshell
Candidum
Candidum Jr
Candyland
Carolyn Whorton
Celebration
Cranberry Star
Creamsickle
Fannie Munson
Fireworks
Florida Elise
Florida Moonlight
Florida Red Ruffles
Florida Sweetheart
Freida Hemple
Frog in a Blender
Galaxy
Gingerland
Hearts Delight
June Bride
Miss Muffet
Modern Art
Party Punch
Pink Beauty
Pink Gem
Pink Symphony
Postman Joyner
Raspberry Moon
Red Flash
Red Frill
Rosebud
Sangria
Scarlet Flame
Springfling
Strawberry Star
Summer Breeze
White Cap
White Christmas
White Dynasty
White Queen
White Wing
White Wonder

Sources: Wikipedia, Farmergracy, Etsy, University of Wisconsin.

Caladium Plant Care – FAQs and Common Issues

Common issues with caladiums include fungus, this can be bad for caladiums as the bulbs/tubers can rot easily. Be careful not to soak the caladiums too much although they do like to be kept moist.

Here’s a few more common questions that come up about Caladiums…

How To Plant A Caladium Tuber?

Soak the bulb for an hour or two in luke warm water before planting up. Then place the tuber with the rounder, smoother side down and the pointed ‘eye’ facing upwards. They should be a good inch or two (4cm) under the soil.

When To Plant A Caladium

If you’re planting caladiums outside May is a good time, as a cold weather spell or frost will stop them growing. They need warm temperature (upwards of 20°C or 68°F) to sprout, which can take a month or two.

How To Care For A Caladium Indoors

Keep them at about 20°C, keep them moist and keep them in bright indirect sunlight. They will last much longer indoors and can last year round.

How To Care For A Caladium Outdoors

Keep them watered and plant them after the frosts have come. They should be sheltered from midday sun and wind. Water them regularly, mulch is great too, as it will help to keep them moist.

How To Repot A Caladium

You have two options when repotting a caladium: pot it up a pot size, or keep it in the same pot and spilt off part of the plant and pot it up separately. I prefer the second as it gives more plants, you can split a new plant off from the original one by splitting it at the tuber. Make sure you take some shoots and roots with it, and then pot it up in a new pot. You can then pot the old plant back up in it’s current pot an it will have some space.

Should I Soak Caladium Bulbs Before Planting?

You should soak the caladium bulb or tuber for at least and hour before planting as it will help get it started. You can even leave them overnight. Make sure you use luke warm, or room temperature water.