Caladium

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Caladium

Caladium is a genus

Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
of flowering plants in the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
Araceae

Araceae

Araceae is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like hood....
. They are often known by the common name elephant ear (which they share with the closely related genera Alocasia
Alocasia

Alocasia is a genus of broad-leaved rhizomatous or bulbous perennials from the Family Araceae. There are about 70 species of Alocasia occurring in Asia, Oceania and South America....
, Colocasia
Colocasia

Colocasia is a genus of six to eight species of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical Polynesia and southeastern Asia ....
, and Xanthosoma
Xanthosoma

Xanthosoma is a genus of about 50 species of tropical and sub-tropical arums in the flowering plant family, Araceae, all native to tropical Americas....
), Heart of Jesus, and Angel Wings. There are over 1000 named cultivars of Caladium bicolor from the original South American plant.

The genus Caladium includes seven species, which are indigenous to Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
and to neighboring areas of South America

South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
and Central America

Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
.

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Cultivation and uses

Several species are grown as ornamental plant

Ornamental plant

Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower garden or as house plants. Most commonly they are grown for the display of their flowers. Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, Plant stem and bark....
s for their large, arrowhead-shaped leaves marked in varying patterns in white, pink, and red (somewhat resembling the unrelated coleus

Coleus

Solenostemon is a genus of perennial plants, native to tropical Africa, Asia, Australia, the East Indies, the Malay Archipelago, and the Philippines....
) and have been in cultivation in Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
since the late 1700s. The two forms most widely cultivated are called "fancy-leaved" and "lance-leaved". The former is the more commonly seen and is the traditional caladium of cultivation; the leaves are more heart-shaped. The latter has more lance-head-shaped leaves. Most Caladiums in cultivation grow to about 60 cm high and 60 cm wide, although dwarf varieties are now in cultivation.

Numerous cultivar

Cultivar

A cultivar is a cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when Plant propagation it retains those characteristics....
s have been selected, most of them (over 120) derived from C. bicolor. The lance-leaved varieties are also derived from C. schomburgkii.

Caladiums grow from corm

Corm

A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant Plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
s and can be propagated by dividing the tubers. They are hardy only to USDA plant hardiness zone 10; in colder areas, they are typically grown as tender bulb

Bulb

A bulb is an underground vertical shoot that has modified leaf that are used as food storage organs by a dormancy plant.A bulb's leaf bases generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions....
s or as houseplant

Houseplant

A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as House and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes and health reasons such as indoor air purification....
s.

During their growing season

Growing season

In agriculture, the growing season is the period of each year when agriculture can be grown. It is usually determined by climate and crop selection....
, they need a great deal of water and should not be allowed to dry out. Most varieties prefer partial to full shade, although sun-resistant varieties are now in cultivation. Approximately 98% of all caladium bulbs are from Lake Placid, Florida

Lake Placid, Florida

Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the town's population as 1,878 on 1 July 2007....
, in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

In temperate areas, they should be lifted before the first frost. The corms are dried and stored for the winter when temperatures fall to 18°C, and stored moderately dry (not bone-dry) over the winter at temperatures between 13 °C and 16 °C.

All parts of the plant are poison

Poison

In the context of biology, poisons are Chemical substance that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous. They should not be ingested and may irritate sensitive skin.

Public Displays

Every August, a festival is held in Lake Placid, Florida

Lake Placid, Florida

Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the town's population as 1,878 on 1 July 2007....
, home to a majority of the world's caladium fields. A popular activity is a tour of the fields of caladiums, the product of local growers. Every July since 2003, Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is a hotel and convention center, opened in Kissimmee, Florida, on February 2, 2002. It also acts as the de facto convention center for Osceola County, Florida, until plans for their own dedicated convention center are realized....
in Kissimmee, Florida

Kissimmee, Florida

Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, Florida, United States. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 60,894....
, has presented the Florida Caladium Showcase, the largest indoor and outdoor display of the plants, including new varieties.

Selected Species

Caladium bicolor
Caladium humboldtii
Caladium lindenii
Caladium paradoxum
Caladium schomburgkii
Caladium ternatum

Gallery

External links

(PDF file)