The illustrated growing guide
Caladium
Caladium bicolor
Family Araceae
Est. zones 9-11
Heart-shaped leaves splashed like watercolor — the flower of the shade garden that isn't a flower. Plant tubers when soil is warm (they sulk in cold), enjoy the neon foliage all summer, lift before frost. Instant tropical color for dark corners.
Part Shade to Shade
Moderate water
Fast in heat growth
Deer-resistantI
Overview
Will caladium suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what caladium actually needs.
Life cyclePerennial zones 9–11, annual elsewhereCaladium at a glance
Common caladium problems
- Aphids
- Spider Mites
- Tuber Rot if stored cold/damp
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow caladium: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate caladium
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The year
What caladium asks for, month by month.
The caladium year, month by month
No fixed season calendar for caladium — its care follows conditions, not the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Caladium in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer bulb
What caladium is grown for
⚠ Toxic if eatenToxic to cats/dogs and kids (calcium oxalate)
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of caladium, ruled as a catalogue.
Best caladium varieties & cultivars
'White Christmas'; 'Red Flash'; 'Miss Muffet'; sun-tolerant 'Florida' series
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to caladiumyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Caladium questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat caladium?
Rarely — caladium is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is caladium safe for kids and pets?
No — treat it as toxic if eaten. Toxic to cats/dogs and kids (calcium oxalate) Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate caladium?
Offsets, division, or bulbils.
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Elsewhere
Where caladium sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily