30 Caladium Plant Varieties with Names and Pictures
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Caladiums also called Elephant Ear, Angel Wings or Heart of Jesus Plant are popular vibrant plants with striking arrow-shaped, paper thin and beautifully marked leaves.
There are over 1000 cultivars of Caladiums. Most Caladium cultivars grow to about 24 inches high and 24 inches wide, although there are dwarf varieties in cultivation now. Caladiums are some of the best large-leafed plants that will create a bold statement in any space.
Caladium varieties are tropical plants native to South America and Central America and naturalized in India, parts of Africa and various tropical islands.
Keep Caladiums out of reach of children and pets as they are toxic to both humans and pets. If ingested they may cause burning in the mouth and throat, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pains.
Generally, Caladiums thrive in medium to bright indirect light, warmth of 15-260C, humidity of 55-65% and moderately moist, well-drained soils coupled with regular feeding in the growing season. Learn how to grow, care and propagate Caladium hortulanum.
If you would like to add Caladiums to your collection, we have outlined herebelow 30 Caladium varieties that you can choose from.
30 Caladium Varieties Your Can Grow in the Home
Popular Caladium varieties are Caladium Blushing Bride, Caladium Broken Heart, Caladium Burning Heart, Caladium candidum, Caladium Cranberry Star, Caladium Dawn to Dusk, Caladium Daydreamer among others.
1. Caladium Blushing Bride
Caladium Blushing Bride features large, strappy, heart-shaped leaves with dark-pink centers, lighter pink veins and dark-green edges.
2. Caladium Broken Heart
Caladium Broken Heart is characterized by large, two-toned (green and red), heart-shaped leaves with white spots scattered on the leaf surface.
3. Caladium Burning Heart
Caladium Burning Heart features large, heart-shaped, rusty-red leaves with pink to orange spots making it a sight to behold.
4. Caladium candidum
Caladium candidum offers an elegant and clean appearance with its white leaves and green veins.
5. Caladium Cranberry Star
Caladium Cranberry Star is characterized by large white leaves with dark green veins and pink dots.
6. Caladium Dawn to Dusk
Caladium Dawn to Dusk features ruffled, dark-green leaves with white veins and deep-pink to maroon markings between the veins.
7. Caladium Daydreamer
Caladium Daydreamer bears large, attractive, ruffled, creamish-pink leaves with dark-red markings and dark-green leaf margins making it look like a piece of artwork.
8. Caladium Florida Beauty
Caladium Florida Beauty is one of the prettiest Caladium cultivars. It features large leaves with light and dark green variegations and hot-pink markings.
9. Caladium Freckles
Caladium Freckles is a sun-loving variety characterized by medium-sized, heart-shaped, light-green leaves with pink and white spots.
10. Caladium Heart and Soul
Caladium Heart and Soul features large, heart-shaped leaves with green, white, pink, and red variegations.
11. Caladium Hearts Delight
Caladium Hearts Delight bears large, heart-shaped, dark-green leaves with pink veins and white markings on the leaf surface.
12. Caladium Just Saucy
Caladium Just Saucy features large, arrow-shaped, rusty-orange leaves with creamy-white centers and green-margins.
13. Caladium Lemon Blush
Caladium Lemon Blush bears large, heart-shaped, lime-green leaves with rose-red centers and red veins.
14. Caladium Pink Beauty
Caladium Pink Beauty features large, light-pink leaves with red veins and green margins giving it a soft and charming effect.
15. Caladium Pink Splash
Caladium Pink Splash bears large, arrow-shaped, pink leaves with green veins, white spots and green leaf margins.
16. Caladium Pink Symphony
Caladium Pink Symphony exhibits strappy, pink leaves with green edges and veins which offers an eye-catching experience in any space.
17. Caladium Pretty Pink
Caladium Pretty Pink offers beautiful, soft-pink, paper-like leaves with a darker pink veins, making it perfect for a table top plant.
18. Caladium Puppy Love
Caladium Puppy Love features pink leaves with darker veins and dark-green leaf margins which makes a great addition to any plant collection.
19. Caladium Red Devil
Caladium Red Devil is a spectacular plant with striking red leaves and bronze colored leaf edges with a metallic shine on the leaf surface.
20. Caladium Red Flash
Caladium Red Flash bears striking red leaves with contrasting green borders and veins. The leaf color intensity will vary with light conditions.
21. Caladium Rosebud
Caladium Rosebud features rose-pink leaves with green margins, exhibiting a unique leaf shape which resembles rosebuds.
22. Caladium Starburst
Caladium Starburst bears strappy, pink leaves with white veins and green margins making it one of the prettiest of the pink cultivars.
23. Caladium Sweetheart
Caladium Sweetheart features large, heart-shaped, hot-pink leaves with darket veins and green margins. It is ideal for a table-top or a hanging basket.
24. Caladium Tears of the Sun
Caladium Tears of the Sun exhibits large, heart-shaped, lime-green leaves with hot-pink coloring in the center and along the veins.
25. Caladium Tiki Torch
Caladium Tiki Torch is characterized by large, strappy, heart-shaped, scarlet red leaves with deeper red veins and light green margins.
26. Caladium White Cap
Caladium White Cap features large, heart-shaped, light-green leaves with white variegations around the veins and is perfect for the sunny spots.
27. Caladium White Christmas
Caladium White Christmas bears white leaves with green veining which makes it perfect for adding brightness to shaded areas in the home.
28. Caladium White Diamond
Caladium White Diamond is a sun-loving cultivar characterized by strappy, white leaves with dark-green borders.
29. Caladium White Marble
Caladium White Marble features glossy dark-green leaves with a white in the center, white veins and white spots on the leaf surface. It is one of the hardy Caladium varieties.
30. Caladium White Queen
Caladium White Queen features large heart-shaped leaves with a white background and green veins which often have pink or red markings on the edges.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many Caladiums are there?
There are more than 1000 cultivars of Caladiums.
2. Are Caladiums toxic to pets?
Yes, Caladiums contain calcium oxalate crystals that are toxic to cats, dogs, and other pets. If ingested it can cause oral irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.
3. What Caladium variety is best for indoors?
'White Christmas,' 'Carolyn Whorton,' and compact varieties like 'Little Miss Muffet' and 'Pink Beauty' perform excellently indoors.
4. Can Caladiums grow in full sun?
Most Caladiums prefer shade to partial shade, but certain varieties tolerate more sun. 'Red Flash,' 'Celebration,' and 'Carolyn Whorton' handle several hours of morning sun better than other types.
5. How long do Caladium bulbs last?
Properly stored Caladium tubers can last for many years when dug up before frost, dried, and stored in cool, dry conditions. Many gardeners successfully reuse the same tubers for 5 to 10 years or more.
6. Do Caladiums come back every year?
In USDA zones 9-11, Caladiums can overwinter in the ground and return annually. In colder zones, gardeners must dig up tubers before frost and replant them the following spring, or treat Caladiums as annuals and purchase new tubers yearly.
7. When should I plant Caladium bulbs?
Plant Caladium tubers outdoors after the last frost when soil temperatures consistently reach 70°F, usually late spring. In warm climates, this might be March or April; in cooler regions, May or early June. For indoor growing, you can start tubers anytime.
8. What is the easiest Caladium to grow?
'Candidum' is considered one of the easiest Caladiums to grow due to its vigor, sun tolerance, and adaptability. 'Carolyn Whorton' also ranks as beginner-friendly with its hardiness and stunning appearance.
9. How fast do Caladiums grow?
From planting, Caladiums typically sprout within 2 to 4 weeks and reach full size in 8 to 12 weeks. Growth rate depends on temperature, with faster development in warm conditions and slower growth in cooler temperatures.
10. What is the difference between fancy leaf and strap leaf Caladiums?
Fancy-leaf Caladiums have large, heart-shaped leaves and prefer shadier conditions. They grow bushier and produce fewer but larger leaves. Strap-leaf (lance-leaf) Caladiums have narrower, elongated leaves, tolerate more sun, and produce more leaves per plant, creating denser growth.
