- this is the common name of tropical plants of the Aroid family, which includes about 15 species, each of which differs in leaf shape, color scheme, size, and so on. The plant is also popularly known as: "Elephant Ears", "Heart", "Angel Wings" due to the shape of its leaves.
This plant was first described in 1800 by the French botanist Etienne Pierre Ventana. The sample he received was brought from the Malaysian archipelago. Interestingly, the locals used this plant as a vegetable crop and is still used in some countries to produce starch.
The main place of natural growth is tropical America (Brazil, Florida). In their natural habitat, caladiums form a dense undergrowth up to five meters high.
Caladium is a perennial herb with large, heart-shaped, thin leaves. The color of the leaves is juicy, and the shape is very beautiful: arrow-shaped, triangular, pointed or heart-shaped. The patterns on the leaves are whimsical and decorative, they consist of beautiful spots, veins and multi-colored transitions. Under natural conditions, the leaves reach from 30 to 50 cm in width. Caladium grows best in greenhouses, home gardens and conservatories.
The color range of caladium leaves is very diverse: from silver and pink to crimson and purple. With proper care, the plant looks just great and will delight not only you, but also guests who will certainly want something similar in their home. True, the plant cannot be called beautifully flowering, the flowers are inconspicuous - same-sex without a single flower. Collected on the cob (inflorescence).
[!] Do not confuse this plant with a cladium from the Sedge family.
The founders for creating homemade options were: Caladium Humboldt (Caladium humboldtii), Caladium Bicolor (Caladium bicolor), Caladium Schomburg (Caladium schomburgkii).
K. Humboldt, K. two-color, K. Schomburg Subsequently, various hybrids were bred, differing from each other in the shape, size and color of the leaves. Now there are a lot of varieties of caladium, and every year more and more new, even more exotic, plant species appear.
Caladium, or to be more precise, indoor hybrids, are very common among owners of small apartments with glazed balconies or loggias. But due to seasonality, that is, a period of long dormancy required by the caladium, not every grower is ready to grow a capricious exotic guest. In addition, during "hibernation" it is necessary to have a free, warm place for storage. But over time, and as information spreads, the situation changes. And the beauty of the caladium certainly attracts attention.
As mentioned above, there are now a huge number of varieties of caladium. Some of the most beautiful and popular in front of you:
- 'Candyland' - green leaves with wide creamy pink veins
- "Florida Sweetheart" - pink-purple leaves with a narrow green border around the edges
- "Florida Red Ruffles" - pink leaves, smoothly turning into green, the edge of the leaf plate is wavy
- 'Fannie Munson' - raspberry-pink leaves with darker veining
- "Florida Sunrise" - an elongated silver-green leaf plate decorated with scarlet veins
- "Pink Beauty" - pink-green spots over the entire leaf surface
- 'Scarlet Pimpernel' - light gray-green leaves are decorated with wide bright pink stripes along the veins
- "Rosalie" - glossy red-brown leaf plates, leaf edge - green
- "Carolyn Whorton" - mottled pattern all over the leaf
Caladium Care
rest period
The most important information that every flower lover who decides to start a caladium needs is how to organize a dormant period that is vital for the plant.
All summer, the caladium grows and develops in the usual, typical for other indoor plants, conditions. But gradually, starting in September, the caladium needs to prepare for a dormant period. At this time, the watering of the plant is gradually reduced and bait with mineral fertilizers is excluded.
Then, in October, the caladium is prepared for wintering. The exact time of the beginning of the dormant period will be prompted by the plant itself - if mass drying and leaf fall begins, then the time has come.
Preparation for the dormant period goes like this - fallen dry leaves are removed, while the leaves remaining on the plant must be preserved, and the plant tubers are laid for winter storage.
You can store the plant both in pots and in another way - after the leaves fall at the end of the season and the substrate dries, the tubers can be removed from the bowl and shaken off the ground. After that, put on the windowsill under the lamp for a week. The air temperature should be around + 20 degrees Celsius. Then you need to remove the tubers in a bag with moss, perlite or sand in a dark and warm place, in the spring they can be planted again.
[!] Before re-planting, the tubers must be carefully checked. They should not be fungus, mold, various diseases and pests, otherwise all the work will be in vain.
The air temperature in the room in which the wintering caladiums are stored is very important. It should be around 18-21 degrees Celsius. If the temperature drops below 15 degrees, there is a high probability of various diseases appearing on the tubers. And at a temperature of 10 degrees, the caladium may even die.
Lighting, air humidity
Caladium loves diffused light. With a small amount of sunlight, the color of the leaves becomes not so bright and saturated. It is good if the window where the plant is located is oriented to the west or east. On the northern windowsill, with a lack of light, you can use special fitolamps, which are presented in a wide range in specialized stores.
The optimum air humidity is about 70%. Leaves from time to time must be wiped from dust and sprayed from a sprayer, especially in dry weather or when exposed to direct sunlight.
Temperature
During the period of activity, caladium, like other tropical plants, loves humidity, heat and does not tolerate drafts and cold. The optimum temperature for growing caladium is from + 15 to +26 degrees Celsius. During rest, the optimum temperature will be from + 15 to + 20 degrees Celsius. Sharp temperature fluctuations are unacceptable in any season.
reproduction
The plant reproduces in two ways:
- seeds
- tuber division
Propagation by seeds is used extremely rarely. This is a very time-consuming method, available only to experienced flower growers.
[!] In the hands of a novice inexperienced grower, a plant obtained from seeds may lose its varietal qualities.
Seeds should only be dealt with if there are no other options. Also, this method is used in the selection of new varieties.
Reproduction by dividing the tuber is much preferable, since this method is quite simple - the tuber is cut into several parts in March. Each of the parts should be with a kidney-eye. It is better to sprinkle tuber slices with ash to avoid infection with rot. Then each tuber must be planted separately. Watering at first should be minimal, otherwise the tubers will begin to rot.
How to choose and buy Caladium
Before disembarking, you need to make sure that the climate is comfortable - this is a temperature from + 20 to + 25 degrees. In some cases, + 15 is enough. Lighting should be diffused, and direct sunlight is unacceptable, otherwise the leaves will begin to dry out from the edges.
You can buy caladium in tubers or pots, already germinated. The plant is sold both in florist shops in your city and on the Internet. When buying, pay attention to the size of the tubers: the larger they are, the larger the plants will be in the end, of course, subject to proper care. It is easiest to find caladium in online stores, as the plant is not common and is quite difficult to obtain.
The best time to buy caladium is early spring. If you bought a germinated specimen, then you just need to transplant it.
Before buying, you need to find out everything about the variety - climatic preferences, care features, etc. There are a lot of varieties and each time new ones appear, for example, shade-tolerant ones. Each hybrid has its own pattern, color combination and leaf shape. As a rule, flower shop employees will help with the choice and give general recommendations regarding planting, care, transplanting, reproduction.
Planting in a pot
When planting a tuber in a pot on the bottom, it is necessary to lay a drainage layer about 2 cm high and immediately check it by pouring a little water. If the water does not drain, then the drainage is not good enough. After drainage, a layer of sand is placed and half of the prepared substrate is placed on top, which is pre-moistened. The rest of the substrate is reported as a slide, in the middle of which a recess is made. A small amount of sand is also placed in the recess.
The tuber itself is planted in the sand by a third. After filling up the main part of the substrate.
[!] If the tuber is planted shallowly, then it will give a lot of "children", but to the detriment of the size of the leaves: they are likely to be very small. Their decorative effect may also suffer.
If the tubers are very small, then about three pieces can be planted in one pot with a diameter of 10 cm. Three to five tubers can be placed in a dish with a diameter of 15 cm. Landing takes place in the same way, as described above. The most beautiful caladiums, with proper care, are obtained from adult tubers of the second year.
Drop off on the street
If the caladium will grow outdoors, it is best to plant it next to ferns, moss and balsam in order to avoid direct sunlight. And replanting under trees would be ideal. It will also protect the plant from strong winds that can damage the leaves and shoots. If there are no trees, then it is necessary to choose a calm side with a small amount of direct sunlight.
When planted outdoors, the plant needs well-drained soil. For this, compost or chopped leaves are suitable. All this is placed at a depth of 15 cm. Regarding the soil, all recommendations are the same as with the potted version, only tubers should be planted at a distance of about 20 - 30 cm from each other.
Planting seeds
If you still want to try a more difficult way to plant caladium - seeds, here are some tips. Small seeds are placed in small bowls at a temperature of +20 - +25 degrees. Periodically, the soil is moistened by spraying, after 10-20 days the first sprouts should appear.
Watering, fertilizing, soil
It is necessary to water the caladium with settled water at room temperature strictly around the tuber. Overhead watering is unacceptable: water can get on tender leaves and they will rot. The frequency of watering should be optimal - both overflow and drought are harmful to the plant.
In summer, the plant can be watered with a frequency of 1 time per week. During summer watering, be guided by the soil moisture in the pot - the top layer should dry out a little. Gradually, by autumn, watering should become more and more rare.
In winter, during “hibernation”, the caladium should be watered no more than once every 20 or 30 days, provided that the tubers remain in pots. When storing tubers in bags, this is not necessary, but you can ventilate them from time to time and check them for mold or putrefactive diseases.
In addition, in the summer, at least once every 12 - 14 days, mineral supplements can be applied. In winter, feeding the plant is not required.
As for the soil, it should be coarse-fibred, loose and nutritious with neutral acidity. Of the ready-made options, soil for roses or palm trees is not bad. For self-preparation of soil, it is necessary to take one part of soddy land, humus soil, peat and sand.
Diseases and pests
Caladium is very often affected. Mealybug is also often found. To combat these pests, use special chemicals - insecticides. Use all drugs very carefully and be sure to read the instructions. Carefully monitor the condition of the plant after the application of insecticides.
The most common disease of Caladium is. The appearance of rot is most often associated with a violation of the irrigation regime, as well as with improper storage of the plant during the dormant period.
Possible Problems When Growing Caladium
- mold on leaves. A possible cause of mold is waterlogging of the soil or the influence of drafts. Try watering less frequently or moving the caladium bowl to a draft-free area.
- Leaves are twisted. Most likely, watering is too poor or the ambient temperature is unnecessarily high. Try to increase the intensity of watering, spray the flower.
- The edges of the leaves are brown. Most likely, the plant is freezing and it is necessary to move it to a warmer room.
- The leaves are pale, the pattern on the leaves is not contrast enough. The likely reason is the lack of sunlight.
- Leaves and shoots sticky and deformed- This . It is necessary to use insecticides or pyrethrum.
- The tuber starts to rot. Check watering frequency and temperature. Too frequent watering and low air temperature lead to the appearance of rot.
- Leaves turn yellow and dry out. If this phenomenon occurs in the fall, this is normal, as the plant is preparing for a dormant period. However, if the leaves turn yellow and shrivel during the active season, it is likely that there is not enough water, and there is also a problem with the pot's drainage system.
- Dried leaf edges. Most likely, the plant is harmed by an excess of sunlight, very frequent top dressing or insufficient watering.
- Poor growth or small leaves- lack of fertilizer and lighting, insufficient watering, improperly prepared substrate.
One of the most common problems when growing caladium is tuber rot. It is very easy to determine whether the root system is in order: if new shoots do not appear in the soil in a month and a half after the tubers are planted, then most likely the tuber has rotted. In this case, dig up the soil, remove the tuber, clean it of dirt and carefully inspect it. If the tuber is soft and light yellow in color, the plant has died and a new crop will no longer give.
indoor plant caladium
Indoor caladium flower is often called "Christ's heart" and "elephant ears". The indoor flower received these names solely because of the peculiar in shape, very thin and beautifully colored leaves. It is worth noting that the caladium flower is a seasonal plant and it lives from spring to autumn. It is in autumn that the flower loses its leaves, and in winter it rests. During the rest period, the pot with plant tubers should be removed to a dark room, for example, under a bath, under a bed or in a pantry. However, do not forget about caladium until spring. It is necessary to periodically check the flower and water it in cases where the earth dries out. In this article we will tell you how to care for caladium at home, and the rules of cultivation.
In the spring, you need to get the pot and carefully examine the tubers. All dried parts must be removed and sprinkled with charcoal wounds. After that, the tubers should be planted in a loose and fresh substrate, to which charcoal must be added. Be sure to water the flower. The planting depth of the tuber should correspond to its diameter.
Caladium Care
In order for the caladium flower to germinate, it should be placed in a damp and dark place or just cover the pot. In which the tuber is located in a dark package. Of course, you should not keep the pot constantly under the bag. And how to care for and grow caladium at home. It must be periodically opened for ventilation. After the sprout is accepted, it can begin to be accustomed to room humidity, and also gradually sprayed. So we have already learned how to care for a caladium houseplant at home, but there are still some points.
caladium flower
How is the care and cultivation of caladium at home? It is necessary to water the caladium indoor flower quite plentifully and regularly. However, do not flood the plant, as this can lead to rotting of tubers and roots. Also, the plant needs moderate lighting: diffused and bright light. As for the air temperature, the flower feels much more comfortable if the temperature does not drop below 15 ° C even at night. For this reason, you should not put the caladium on the balcony in the summer.
Particular attention should be paid to feeding. The growing season of the plant is very short and requires the acceleration of all processes. That is why the flower is in dire need of nutrients. Closer to the middle of summer, it is necessary to gradually reduce the amount and frequency of feeding. Also, if you have a cactus at home, we suggest that you read the article on how it goes at home.
Here is such a simple care for caladium at home, since this is a houseplant, it requires special cultivation.
Caladium attracts attention with its beauty and pronounced decorative effect. Despite all the hassle associated with its cultivation, it is popular with florists, landscape designers and ordinary amateur flower growers. The homeland of this plant is the tropics and subtropics, therefore for the successful growth of the caladium, it is necessary to create the conditions familiar to it.
Description
Caladium is a garden or indoor plant beloved by many exotic connoisseurs with large elegant leaves that have a variety of colors. Their shape is often compared to the shape of a spearhead or a heart. Veined leaves are often gifted by nature or breeders with a contrasting color, consisting of two shades. The most common caladium leaf colors are purple, yellow, white, red, green. This vine does not have a stem, it has a basal growth of leaves, which grow over time and create dense rosettes with a diametrical size of up to half a meter.
At the base of the caladium root system there is a roundish flattened tuber 7-10 cm in diameter, at the top of which the rudiments of the future plant are clearly visible and a little to the side - lone sleeping buds.
It is worth noting that its inflorescence is often mistaken for a caladium flower. It appears after the opening of the third or fourth leaf and looks like a solid ear of female and male flowers wrapped in a pointed blanket. Very often the "blanket" takes on the same color as the leafy part. The whole process of enjoying flowers usually lasts no more than a day, and after 4-5 weeks, roundish orange-red berries ripen at the site of the inflorescence.
Caladium is a poisonous plant. It is dangerous both when it enters the esophagus, and just when working with it.
During planting activities, it is necessary to protect hands with gloves, and contact of the child with this plant is strictly prohibited.
Species and varieties
Consider the popular varieties of plants.
Caladium Humboldt
This species is at the very foundation of the breeding work on many potted hybrids. Its difference is the dark green color of the leaf plates, on the outer side of which silver stripes diverge from the center, having a narrowing towards the edge. In length, leaf plates reach 10 cm and 5 cm in width. Flowers, resembling candles in their appearance, open in the spring, but do not carry much decorative use.
Caladium Schomburg
This variety of caladium is distinguished by oval leaves up to 15 cm long and up to 12 cm wide. The upper side of the leaf plate is painted in silver-reddish tones with green veins.
Decorative varieties:
- Venosum- on its oval green leaf plate, a red border and a vein in the center stand out, and the lateral veins are summed up with yellow stains;
- Erythraeum- on a dark red sheet there are silver patterns along the veins.
Caladium bicolor
The leaves of this species are much narrower than the rest, and their shape is often characterized as swept. A bright red blot diverges from the very center along the edges with sharp tips on a green background. The length of the plate reaches 30 cm.
There are quite a few hybrid varieties.
- Rosalie- green edging is clearly visible on red leaves.
- pink beauty- in the very center the sheet is pink, along the edge there is a green edging, the veins are summed up with a bright pink stripe.
- Florida Cardinal- leaf plates are shiny and painted in a crimson hue, along the edge there is a bright green wide border.
- white christmas- the surface of the sheet is silvery, on which there are dark green stripes along the veins and small dark green spots.
- red flash- the literal translation of this variety sounds like: “red flash”. And this is no coincidence - the appearance of the sheet plate of the Red Flush caladium resembles a photo of a bright explosion, painted in red tones. A bright crimson stripe runs along the leaf and diverges with sharp wide veins to its edges, and a scattering of light spots is located on a green background. The length of the leaf plate reaches 30 cm.
Home care
Provided that certain requirements are met, caring for and growing a caladium on your own is not so difficult.
Here is a general scheme of care for plants grown in houses and apartments.
- The end of March and the beginning of April is the time when the caladium pot after hibernation is taken out into the light and provided with abundant watering.
- At the same time, the comfort temperature for the natural development of Caladium is in the range from +22 to +27 degrees Celsius.
- In spring, watering should be plentiful, but not excessive. The frequency of watering is approximately 1 time per week. Water that accumulates in the pan must be poured out.
- In summer, the frequency of watering increases to twice a day, approximately 0.5 liters of water per 1 plant.
- Watering the caladium is carried out with water at room temperature not lower than +22 degrees Celsius.
- When water drops fall on the leaves, they respond with dark spots. Therefore, it is important to be careful when watering.
- It is advisable to install a container of water near the pot so that the water evaporates and provides the necessary moisture for the flower.
- Fertilizers are applied from the end of May. In total, 2-3 top dressings will be needed per season.
- With the onset of autumn, the caladium falls asleep. Its leaves dry, and the plant itself is cleaned in a dark place before the onset of spring.
- During hibernation, the Caladium is also cared for. Its soil needs periodic wetting, and in order to avoid drying out, a few tablespoons of water will be enough.
When breeding caladium in the garden, it is planted on a moderately lit, slightly shaded place without direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation, because in the natural conditions familiar to him, this plant is in the shade of other plants. carried it out abundant watering in the summer, and spraying is also welcome.
Outdoor cultivation is carried out in a mixture from the compost component, leaf soil, sand, sod land with charcoal.
In late autumn, after the leaves have dried, the tubers are dug out of the ground, cleaned of residues, sprinkled with a mixture of sand and earth, then placed in a cool place where they hibernate.
Reproduction methods
Caladium reproduces in three possible ways: daughter tubers, tuber division and seeds.
- To propagate Caladium child tubers, during a transplant in the spring, children are separated from the mother tuber, planting them in a separate flowerpot or pot. This method is considered one of the most common and simple.
- Use method of dividing tubers is also pretty simple. To do this, an adult specimen must be divided into 2 or 3 parts and seated in different containers. At least one kidney must be left on each part. Tuber division is carried out with a disinfected knife, and live sections are sprinkled with coal powder and planted in a sand-peat mixture. Germination is carried out in a bright and warm room with a temperature of +22.24 degrees Celsius.
- Caladium is grown seeds in order to develop a new variety. Seeds must be purchased in specialized stores. Since this is a hybrid, it does not make sense to collect your own seeds at home, since some signs of mother plants may be lost in subsequent generations. Sowing seeds is carried out in a mixture of sand and hardwood with regular moistening and maintaining the temperature at +30 degrees Celsius. Sprouting of sprouts can be observed after 2-3 weeks, and after a month they can be planted in independent containers. In the summer season, the caladium dives again, and by the fall small tubers are already forming.
Features of flowering
At the end of May, after the first 4 leaves have appeared, the development of the inflorescence begins in full swing - an elongated ear of a light shade in yellowish tones, turning into a white-green or leaf-colored veil. Flowering does not occur in tandem with pronounced odors and lasts only one to a few days. After pollination, dense spherical berries ripen.
It should be noted that under room conditions, flowering and fruit ripening is very rare.
Diseases and pests
Caladiums, like many plants, are susceptible to various diseases and pests.
bacterial rot
Fusarium and wet rot tubers of the plant are exposed. If damaged areas are found, the tubers are cut to healthy tissue with a sterile knife, and the cut sites are sprinkled with powder fungicides.
Ornamental leafy plants most often come from subtropical or tropical regions of the world. Caladium is a rather small, but extremely bright genus from the tropical regions of the American continent, including 15 independent species.
At home, perennial herbaceous plants live under the canopy of the forest, where, under comfortable conditions, they form thick, dense curtains. A characteristic feature of the culture is large pointed-heart-shaped leaves, due to the shape, size and extraordinary coloring of which caladiums, in the photo, are popularly compared with elephant ears or angel wings. And such comparisons are justified.
Even in wild-growing varieties, leaf plates can reach a length of 30-45 cm, and a rainbow or an artist's palette can envy the variety of shades on the leaves of the caladium.
The plant does not have a regular stem. The leaves appear above the ground on long, erect petioles and, gradually growing, form dense rosettes with a diameter of half a meter.
At the heart of the caladium root system is a rounded flattened tuber with a diameter of about 7–10 cm. In the apical part of the tuber, the rudiment of the future bush is clearly visible, and at a distance from it are single dormant buds. After planting, the tuber forms a fibrous root system, which, after the end of the growing season at home, dies off, and the plant retires.
What inexperienced flower growers mistake for a caladium flower is an inflorescence. Its appearance can be expected after the disclosure of the third or fourth sheet. The inflorescence looks like a rather large dense cob, consisting of male and female flowers and wrapped in a pointed veil.
In some varieties of caladium, as in the photo, it is painted in the same tones as the bright leaves. But there are varieties with white or greenish bracts. Flowering lasts no more than a few days, and a month after pollination, rounded reddish-orange berries ripen on the former cob.
In culture, several species of this tropical plant have been used. One of them is Caladium esculentum, the starchy tubers of which are edible and used as food in several countries of South America. .
But not edible ones, but decorative ones, as in colorful photos of caladiums, became famous all over the world. Wild plants of the species Caladium bicolor, Caladium marmoratum, Caladium picturatum and other varieties became the material for breeders, who subsequently received hybrids used today in garden and indoor floriculture. 
Caladium care at home
Preferences that have developed in the initial growing conditions, that is, in the tropics, affect the care of the caladium.
As with all variegated plants, caladiums need plenty of light. And the brighter the colors on the leaves, the more sun the culture needs. That's just direct rays are detrimental to plants accustomed to life under the crowns. The best place:
- east or west windows;
- open terraces or loggias that protect the foliage from the scorching sun;
- trunk circles of trees, if in summer the culture is taken out into the open air.
If southern windows are chosen for pots with a caladium flower, shading is required. On the north side, the color of the foliage will inevitably suffer, so in this case you will have to take care of.
During the entire growing season, as well as when storing tubers during their hibernation, Caladium will be comfortable at normal room temperatures.
Keeping in mind the tropical origin of the plant, you need to know that the success of caring for caladium, as in the photo, at home largely depends on air humidity. In summer, culture develops beautifully in the fresh air, on a balcony or loggia. Together with the pot, the plants are planted in the garden or in the flower beds. 
But when the house is excessively dry, for example, when the heating appliances are turned on, procedures to change the current situation must be included in the care of the caladium.
Spraying the foliage is not worth it due to possible spots on the leaf plates and discoloration, but spraying moisture over the bush will give good results.
From spring, when the first shoots appear above the ground, and until the dormant period, the caladium, in the photo, is generously watered. Drying of the soil surface becomes a signal for k. If the plant does not receive water in time, the leaves will wilt and lose their attractiveness. But excess water in the substrate is not needed. It can cause root and tuber rot. And then there is a risk of losing a green pet. 
Planting is carried out in loose nutrient soil, which can be done by mixing in equal proportions:
- humus;
- garden soil;
A little sand, crushed coal and sphagnum can be added to the resulting substrate. Before planting the tubers, the soil is sterilized and then laid out in pots on top of a powerful drainage layer.
Containers for caladiums, as in the photo, are selected based on the size of the tubers. For the smallest specimens, take pots with a diameter of 9–12 cm. 
Adult tubers should be planted in containers with a diameter of at least 20 cm, since large leaves grow well and require a lot of soil and space for nutrition.
Caladium care during dormancy
When caring for a caladium at home, it should be borne in mind that these plants have an obligatory dormant period, which in the middle lane falls on autumn-winter time.
By September, to prepare the tubers for hibernation, gradually reduce the intensity of watering. After this, wilting and falling of foliage begins, which means that moisture is no longer needed at all.
Dried caladium tubers in autumn:
- removed from the ground;
- gently clean off the remains of the substrate and dried roots.
- inspect for damage, rot, or signs of disease.
All damaged tissues are removed, and the cut sites are treated with a fungicide and, after drying the drug, sprinkled with crushed activated charcoal.
Tubers overwinter in dry moss or vermiculite at room temperature until, in January or February, a growth bud is clearly visible on top, ready to give life to a new rosette of leaves.
Unusual and different caladium - video
The genus Caladium is a member of the Aroid family. In total, there are 15 species, three of which: two-color, Humboldt and Schomburg are actively used in cultural breeding. A stemless plant in its natural habitat - tropical forests is able to stretch up to several meters in height. Its tubers are edible.
In indoor floriculture, Caladium is valued for the unsurpassed beauty of the leaves. They are red, white, pink, purple. Some with small specks, others with large spots, clearly drawn, like veins along a ruler, or with bizarre patterns. For such unusual sheet plates, Caladium was given the name "Angel Wings". The plant has another name - "Elephant Ears". The flower owes them to the dimensions of the heart-shaped at the base and tapering to the edge of the leaves. But the flowers of Caladium are small and inconspicuous.
You can enjoy the riot of colors only during the growing season (from mid-spring to early autumn). The plant is considered one of the most capricious in care. However, according to flower growers, there is no more trouble with him than with any tuberous. With the correct organization of the dormant period, Caladium will please the eye for several years.
Interestingly, by varying the level of tuber planting, different effects can be achieved. For example, with a deep one, the size of the leaves increases, with a shallow one, the number of shoots.
By the way, Caladium gets along well with other plants, which allows you to create luxurious floral arrangements.
Caladium was brought to Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, and since then breeders have not stopped working on developing new hybrids.
cultivation
Caladium is demanding on the conditions of detention, not only during the growing season, but also during the dormant period. Drying leaves indicate that "winter hibernation" is approaching. In no case should you speed up the process by cutting them off on your own, as well as leaving those that have already fallen in a pot. Watering stops completely, when the leaf fall ends and the soil dries out completely, the tubers can be removed from the container. They should be carefully inspected for rot for prompt removal. Then the tubers are placed in sphagnum and sent to winter in a dark place. It is necessary to take care of observing the temperature regime (+ 15–18 ° C). A decrease in indicators is fraught with decay and death. During the dormant period, the tubers are allowed to occasionally moisten.
Transplantation is carried out in the spring after the appearance of the kidneys. A pot with a hole in the bottom should be 3 times the size of the tuber. If the tubers are small, then 2-3 pieces can be placed in one container. It is important to provide a reliable drainage layer.
Diseases and pests
Fusarium rot, wet bacterial rot, aphids, mealybugs, spider mites.
reproduction
Tuber, tuber division, seeds.
First steps after purchase
Caladium is one of those plants that are best not to buy in a "ready-made form." As a rule, a tuber is bought for further cultivation. It needs to be carefully inspected, paying attention to such characteristics as size (at least 5 cm in diameter), density (softening is unacceptable), integrity (no damage), uniform color (black spots are the first sign of decay). If the buds have already formed, the flower can be planted immediately. Otherwise, the tuber should be kept warm and in the light for several days. Haste is usually costly - until the buds appear, it is impossible to determine the "top-bottom" of the tuber.
Success Secrets
Caladium is photophilous, but easily tolerates shading. The plant feels most comfortable in diffused sunlight. Thus, the ideal place for a flower to live indoors is windows facing the northeast and northwest. Direct sunlight negatively affects the decorativeness of the plant.
During active growth, Caladium needs an air temperature in the range of 22–25 ° C during the day, a night “cooling” of up to 20 degrees is acceptable.
The plant needs high humidity - 70%. In this case, it is categorically unacceptable for drops of water to fall directly on the leaves. In other words, spraying should be fine and cover the area next to the flower. It is also advisable to place the Caladium pot in a tray of damp peat.
During the growing season, the flower is abundantly watered with soft settled water, preferably boiled. As the rest period approaches, the amount of fluid decreases. After transplantation, watering begins with small doses, gradually increasing to normal. It is very important to protect the flower from a dangerous enemy - a draft.
In spring and summer, Caladium is fed once a week alternately with mineral and organic fertilizers.
Possible difficulties
Tuber rot
Reasons: 1) waterlogging, 2) hypothermia.
Yellowing leaves
Reasons: 1) phytophthora.
The appearance of brown spots on the leaves
Causes: 1) ingress of water drops.
Falling lower leaves
Reasons: 1) insufficient watering.
Drying of leaves around the edges
Causes: 1) overheating, 2) excess sunlight, 3) excess fertilizer.
