Spring is time to plant colorful caladium bulbs in your Brevard landscape | Sally Scalera

Spring is coming fast (even though we just experienced cold temperatures again), so keep an eye out for when the garden centers begin selling bulbs. 

Some of the easiest bulbs to grow are caladiums. I typically think of caladiums as a great choice for adding color to a shady spot, but there are cultivars that grow beautifully in the sun also.  I’m sure everyone has a place or two in their landscape for some caladiums to add a splash of color.

I love plants that, once planted, continue to grow year after year, and caladiums fit that description. Caladiums are not only colorful, but they add a tropical look to the landscape. They are low-growing bulb plants that can be planted either in front of or under other plants. 

Caladiums can be divided into two groups, fancy-leaved caladiums that produce large, heart-shaped foliage, or lance-shaped leaves that are long and narrow. One note of caution: Caladiums are poisonous, so plant them where pets and small children can’t eat them.

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Caladiums are great in areas where you already have established plants, because they will die back to the ground for the winter and grow again the next spring. Most caladiums grow best in partial shade and only require two to four hours of direct sunlight each day, receiving morning sun and afternoon shade. Newer cultivars have been bred to grow in sunny locations, so there are caladium bulbs that can be planted in any light condition.

Caladiums can also be grown in containers and hanging baskets. When grown in hanging baskets with other plants like ferns, they provide a tropical look. When grown in containers, choose a pot with good drainage and use a fast-draining potting mix. This will help to ensure the plants won’t suffer from soil that stays too wet. 

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences initiated a caladium breeding program in 1976 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Bradenton.  Here is information on some of their releases:

• For caladiums with white and green fancy-leaf foliage, there is Florida Blizzard, which has a mixture of white and green, and Florida Moonlight which is mainly white with a thin green edge around the leaf. These caladiums grow best when they are in partial sun to shady locations.
• The Florida Cardinal caladium is a red fancy-leaf type with bright red in the center of the leaf with a broad green border around the edge. It will have the best color when planted in a location that is shady.
• If you are looking for a plant to add some pink to your landscape, try the Florida Roselight (bright pink and green), Florida Elise (light pink and green) or Florida Calypso (bright pink and light pink with green).  They can be planted in sunny or shady locations. They have improved sun tolerance over many of the traditional pink cultivars such as Kathleen, where the pink leaf color can fade to an unappealing tan when grown in sunny locations.
• If you have shady spots, you can grow Florida Fantasy (bright pink mid-vein with white leaf blade and green border) and Florida Sunrise (bold red veins surrounded by green).

When planting your new bulbs or potted plant, be sure to place a mixture of granular mycorrhizal inoculate in the planting hole (i.e. Plant Success Granular Mycorrhizae, etc.) After the plants have produced some foliage, inoculate again by drenching the soil around the plant with a liquid inoculant (i.e., Microbe Brew, Kangaroots, etc.) containing beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae to increase the diversity of the soil food web. If the caladiums are planted among perennials, shrubs and trees, the inoculums will also benefit the surrounding plants.

Spring is the perfect time to buy caladiums. Check your nearest garden center, because caladium bulbs will be in stock soon. The bulbs will be available in boxes or packages, with photos so you can choose the leaf type and color that you like best. 

After planting, the caladiums will appear every spring and brighten your landscape throughout the summer. The large selection of caladiums could make your decision a hard one, but in the end, their colorful foliage will be a beautiful addition to the landscape. 

Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. Email her at sasc@ufl.edu.