To love caladiums as perennials , use these tips to protect them from cold temperature .
caladium are stunning tropical plants with colorful leaves that brighten up fishy areas in your garden . Butare caladiums perennialsthat spring up back every year after the winter ? Or will you need to bribe new plants to replace them in the bound ? Here ’s what you need to know to get the most out of your caladiums and keep them growing yearly .
caladium were initially limited to fishy locations , with just a couple hours a mean solar day of dappled sun or less intense morning sunlight . However , newer varieties can take some direct sunlight , especially in more northern country .
Credit:Bob Stefko
What Are Caladiums?
Caladiums areperennial plantsthat will only grow back in frost - free areas after winter . Hardy in zone 9 - 13 , these tropical plants are well killed by a freeze and do n’t do well in cool weather . Anything frigid enough to warrant a coat for you is generally too chilly for them . However , do n’t despair . Caladiums can be grown as yearbook and houseplants or planted outside and moil up each class likedahlias .
caladium raise from a bulb ( technically called a tuberous corm ) . When purchase , you may remark unlike incandescent lamp of different sizes . Foliage grow straight from buds on the bulbs , and the more of them , the more foliage you ’ll get . Larger electric-light bulb , therefore , command a gamy price . Bags of caladium bulb from a big box fund are probably smaller bulbs . They ’ll still mature ; they just wo n’t make as much foliage . However , smallerbulbs can be plantedcloser together to create a fuller effect .
Most caladium grown in gardens are cultivar ofCaladium bicolor , and there are century to choose from . Caladiums are sometimes referred to as elephant ear or Angel Falls wings but check for the genus nameCaladiumon the industrial plant tatter . Other plants , such as alocasia , also go by those common names .
Credit: Laurie Black
Bob Stefko
Overwintering Caladium Bulbs
Many nurseryman treat caladiums as annuals and let them die at the end of the season when cold conditions arrives . Then , they buy new caladium to plant the following twelvemonth . However , if you have a caladium you wish or want tosave the disbursement , you could dig up the corm in former fall and store them in a protect slur until warm atmospheric condition retort in spring . Just be sure to comprehend up your caladiums beforeyour area ’s first fall Robert Frost . Then perform these actions :
If you grew your caladium incontainers on the deck or patioall summer , you have it easy in the fall . Just snip off the remaining foliage once it begin to die back and impart the whole pot into an unwarmed garage or shed that will stay above freezing . In outflow , move the heap outdoors once all peril of frost has passed .
When and How to Plant Caladium Bulbs
Caladiums can be purchased as bulb ready to go in the background or as nursery plants . northerly gardeners may want to start their caladium indoors to get a head start on the season .
Planting Caladiums Indoors
Planting Caladiums Outdoors
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Frequently Asked Questions
If your garden is in Zone 9 or warmer , leave your caladiums in the solid ground . As tropical plants , they wo n’t tolerate inhuman temperature or wet , chilly dirt , but in nature , they would , of course , continue in the ground .
Although caladiums are deer - resistant , they certainly are n’t deer - proof . Some gardeners report that deer walk right by their caladium , while others have selection words on the subject . caladium check Ca oxalate crystals that can cause sassing irritation , which could explain a deer ’s disinclination to go beyond a sense of taste test .
It is rare for a caladium grow as an ornamental to flower , but it does materialize . Most gardeners trim the heyday because they are n’t very glossy and take resources that could otherwise be put into more outstanding foliage growth .
