Caladium Plant

Caladium

Elephant Ear Plant

Caladium plants, or Elephant Ear plants as they are sometimes called, are grown for their large, paper-thin, heart-shaped, colorful leaves that are often more spectacular than many flowers. The most popular indoor caladiums are the “fancy-leafed” and “lance-leafed” varieties. The leaves of caladium plants, some as long as 24 inches, have marbled, spotted, or veined patterns in red, pink, white, and green. A caladium is a tuberous, rooted perennial that originally came from South America. Caladium plants, whether indoors or outdoors, die back and become dormant in the fall and stay that way until early spring. The beautiful ornamental foliage makes the extra care required to grow and then re-grow a caladium each year well worth it.

These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants

Caladium

Light

A caladium requires very bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. Keep your plant out of the direct sun to prevent leaf burn.

Water

The soil of a caladium plant should be moist but never soggy during the growing season. As the leaves start to die in the early fall and the plant goes into its resting/dormant period, gradually reduce the water until the soil has thoroughly dried out.

Fertilizer

Fertilize every two weeks when a caladium is actively growing with a water-soluble plant food, high in nitrogen, diluted to at 1/2 the recommended strength. Always dilute the plant food or the salt in the fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small. will burn the leaves.

Temperature

A caladium plant likes warm temperatures between 70°-85°F (21.1°-29.4°C) with as little fluctuation in temperature as possible. During the five or so months when a Caladium is dormant, the temperature should be cooler but never below 55°F (12.8°C).

Humidity

Caladium plants need a great deal of humidity to their leaves turning brown and curling. There are several ways to increase the Humidity for PlantsHumidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air and is not easily controlled. The good news is that although many houseplants prefer high humidity (50-70%), most manage to do quite well in the 20-60% humidity found in our homes and offices. However, it’s always a good idea to find out how much humidity a specific plant needs; for example thin leaved delicate plants usually require more humidity than thick leaved plants. If low humidity is a problem during the winter when the heat is on and in the summer when the air conditioning is on, houseplants develop brown leaf tips, leaves dehydrate, wither, and may eventually fall off. There are several ways to increase the humidity in a room. Place a small room humidifier near your plants. Group plants together and create a mini greenhouse effect Place plants on a wet pebble tray. Be sure the water stays below the bottom of the pots and the plant sits on pebbles and not directly in the water. The pebbles should be pea size and the tray should be at least as wide as the plant. As the water evaporates, the humidity in the air increases. Misting Plants: I do not recommend misting plants. Leaves that are constantly wet tend to develop bacterial and fungal diseases which are more serious problems than lack of humidity. Also, its not very efficient since the mist dissipates so quickly it rarely increase the humidity for an adequate amount of time. in a dry home or office: You can set a plant on a bed of wet gravel or pebbles. Be sure the plant is sitting on the pebbles and not in the water. Place a small humidifier in the room with your plants. Group several houseplants near each other to create a mini greenhouse effect.

Flowering

Caladium flowers are inconspicuous. The leaves are the beautiful part of this plant.

Pests

The colorful leaves of caladium plants attract Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants., spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them., and AphidsSee a picture, learn to identify, and read about Aphid houseplant pests in the Glossary of Houseplant411.com.. Gently wash off any pests on the delicate leaves with warm soapy water. If the problem persists, try Neem OilLearn about Neem Oil, a natural, organic, non-toxic product for treating houseplant insects and diseases..

Diseases

The high humidity caladium plants require may cause fungal diseases such as fusarium and pythium and bacterial diseases such as leaf spot. Providing good air circulation and keeping caladium leaves dry, helps prevent diseases. Use Neem OilLearn about Neem Oil, a natural, organic, non-toxic product for treating houseplant insects and diseases. or a commercial FungicideLearn what fungicides are and how they are used to treat fungal and bacterial plant infections. that can be mixed with the soil to treat diseases

Soil

Caladium plants like a slightly acidic, fast-draining soil. Once a month water with leftover tea or a very dilute solution of water and vinegar.

Pot Size

Plant caladium tubers in a 4"-6" pot that has drip holes in the bottom. Cover the tubers with 1"-2" of soil.

Propagation

Caladiums do best when propagated in the spring after the plant has had a 5-month "rest." Digging up and dividing the calathea tubers is the best propagationLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary method

Resting Period

In the fall, when the caladium leaves die, move your plant to a dry, dark, cool location. Water sparingly every six weeks. A caladium must "rest" and be dormant for about 5 months each year before it starts to grow again.

Poisonous Plant Info

Caladiums are very poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets. plants with a #3 toxicity levelThese are general guidelines that describe how poisonous certain houseplants are. It's possible for an allergic reaction to occur from contact with any houseplant, toxic or non-toxic. If there is ever a concern, call: Poison Control Center: ******1-800-222-1222****** Level #1: Houseplants with low toxicity, may be mildly irritating, especially the sap of the plant. Level#2: Houseplants with medium to severe toxicity. Eating parts of these houseplants may result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties. Level #3: These houseplants are very poisonous. When eaten, especially in large quantities, severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties can occur. Level #4: These houseplants are extremely poisonous. Eating parts of these houseplants can be be life threatening. Every plant listed in our Popular HousePlant guide has a section explaining whether or not it is poisonous and, if so, how poisonous. Amaryllis, alocasia, dieffenbachias, crotons, ivies, azaleas, lilies, and philodendrons are just a few of the highly poisonous plants we use in our homes and offices all of the time. If you don't know whether your houseplant is poisonous, go to Ask Judy on the HousePlant411.com website, send her a picture of your plant, and she'll let you know if the houseplant should be kept away from small children and pets. See colorful pictures and get more information about poisonous houseplants in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants .

Can I store my caladium plant bulbs in the garage during the winter?

You can store your caladium tubers (bulbs) in the garage as long as the temperature stays above 55°F (12.8°C).

I moved my caladium outside for the summer, now it has big brown spots on the leaves. Were these spots caused by an insect or a disease?

The brown spots on your caladium plant are probably leaf burn from the sun. These plants love bright lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light., but never put them in direct sun.

Why are the tips of the leaves on my beautiful caladium turning brown?

There are several reasons why the tips and edges of caladium plant leaves turn brown. You may be feeding it too much. Always dilute the plant food to1/2 the recommended strength or the salt in the fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small. will burn the leaves. Caladium plants require very high humidity and the air in our homes is often very dry. Put your caladium on a tray filled with water and pebbles, but be sure the plant is sitting on pebbles and not in the water. You can also try placing a small humidifier near your plant.

Why are the new leaves on my caladium smaller than the old leaves? Also, why are the new leaves mostly green, the older leaves have a lot of red, pink, and white in them.

The new leaves on your caladium plant are coming in smaller and less colorful because the plant isn’t getting enough light. Move your caladium to an area where it will get very bright lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light., but no direct sun.

My Caladium plant grew back after a rest period but seems to be much smaller this year; it looks really stunted. Should I feed it more often?

If your Caladium bulbs were stored in an area that was too hot or too cold, below 55°F (12.8°C) or above 85°F (29.4°C), the bulbs might have been damaged. You may not physically see the damage on the bulb, but it does effect how well and how quickly a caladium plant grows.