Caladiums commonly called Angel’s wings or Lucky originated from Brazil and Central America.
Caladiums are decora-tive plants grown for their colourful foliage which looks extremely delicate. The large heart-shaped leaves are paper thin and vary widely in colour from creamy white to pink and deep red. They are members of the aroid family and they grow from tubers. Although there are many species, there are two distinct types of caladiums:-
1. The fancy-leaved Caladiums have broad heart-shaped leaves on erect leaf-stems.
2. The lance-leaved Caladiums have narrow lancelot leaves born on short or cascading leaf-stems and are generally more tolerant of high light intensities.
As in most plants of this genus, the pattern on the leaves largely follows the leaf veining. The first Cala-dium hybrids were produced in France in the 1860s and hybridization continued in the the US. Caladiums today are in worldwide demand both for container gardens and for the purposes of land-scaping. Florida is the Cala-dium capital of the world.
Caladiums are easy to grow. Plant the tubers in well-drained soil in a semi-shaded area in the garden where they would receive bright light but not direct sunlight. Dig a hole approxi-mately 2 inches deep and set the tuber in it. Press the soil firmly and water lightly.
Remember to keep the soil moist until the tubers start to grow. Within 7 days leaves should emerge. Fertilize with Osmocote Slow release Plant Food once per month. All my Caladium tubers that I planted last month are blooming in pots with a rainbow of colourful leaves. In Guyana there are some local varieties that weref ound in the countryside and backdam.
Until next week, happy gardening!
