A tender perennial summer flowering bulb often grown as an annual bedding, container plant, houseplant, or Acaulescent herb grown for its colorful, arrowhead-shaped leaves that come in a rainbow of colors like white, pink, red, green, and bicolor. Some are nearly white with a green border and veins. The flowers and fruits are ornamentally insignificant. It is propagated by tubers, and the tubers must be dug up and stored over winter. Consider using this plant as a specimen, in massing plantings, or shaded borders. It is a water guzzler and requires abundant amounts of water when growing. Plant in partial shade to full in fertile, acidic, high organic matter well-drained soils. Keep soils moist, especially throughout the summer, and fertilize regularly during the growing season. The tubers will not overwinter outdoors, so dig up and store. It tolerates deep shade and gives a tropical feel to container gardens and borders. Quick ID Hints : Acaulescent plant with elongate, erect petioles Leaves sagittate, peltate, variable variegation Popular selections are white leaves with green/red Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Slugs and snails may damage foliage. Fragile leaves can be damaged by wind or hail. Difficult to grow as interior landscape plants as leaves die back during winter More information on Caladium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Pink; Red/Burgundy; Variegated; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Showy alternate, simple, arrow-shaped, and variegated with white between the veins. Ovate to elliptic, acute to short-acuminate, sagittate, entire, more or less undulate, green with white to pink to red variegation, 7"-17.5" long x 4.5-10" wide; basal lobes obtuse; petiole peltate, elongate, subequal to longer than leaf.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower form
Spadix
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Insignificant, inconspicuous. Rarely flowers in a spadix surrounded by a yellow-green spathe. Peduncle short; spathe tubular below, limb partly expanded, constricted above the tube, greenish-white.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit detail
Ornamentally insignificant.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Central and South America
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#bulb #houseplant #showy leaves #moist soil #summer bulbs #fantz #border planting #colorful leaves #tuberous #summer flowers #problem for cats #problem for children #problem for dogs #problem for horses #tropical feel #poisonous #spadix #heavy shade tolerant #container plant #variegated #accent #cpp
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Burning and swelling of lips, mouth, tongue; also nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur; contact with cell sap can cause skin irritation. Ingestion by livestock or pets may cause death.
Toxic principle
Calcium oxalate crystals and unidentified compounds