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Caladium

Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
in Plants
oh wise and clever friends, hubby bought me this. I looked up "care" it said no direct sunlight,can go outside in summer. It's a bulb only grows spring and summer. No mention of any flowers/Spath??? Anyone got one, give me suggestions.
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  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t have houseplants but my mum had these,  I remember her spraying them with a fine mist spray.  There’s a good article here that may help you.
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/caladium/growing-caladiums-indoors.htm
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Thanks Lyn, that is better and different to the articles I found. Basically, I am lucky to have a flowering spathe, and it might smell of citrus.
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    @Nanny Beach I do have 3 caladiums; I treat them as indoor plants. However, mine have never flowered. Remove the leaves only when they are completely dry as I think it returns some of the energy back to the tuber. Also water it sparingly,  as even though they love humid conditions, over-watering could result in tuber rot.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    I bought one some time ago from a reputable online company as I really did like the colour of the leaves. Planted the "corm" in a pot and there has never been any sign of life. May dig it up now to see what went wrong.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    Looks super and healthy.
    Maybe tricky as it has so little chlorophyll in the leaves.

    Maybe Miss Muffet.
    Lots of advice below.

    https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/caladium-miss-muffet/classid.2000043270/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1bqZBhDXARIsANTjCPL0OTDUUjFxg2u4ZEbuNHop1fJga24v7TxZ-3R13wtC-hl_dNKkJ60aAjW2EALw_wcB
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    edited September 2022
    Thanks folks. It's sitting in my kitchen window,north facing, but pretty bright because it's an unoverlooked bungalow
     It's got a bed of shingle which I have dampened, hopefully should be humid in the kitchen.. Euctace, will it die back completely in winter then? I've got around 30 orchids,so sprayer always at the ready! Could I have a picture of yours
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    It should die right back through the winter, similar to other corms then start to sprout the following Spring. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    I have Caladium White Christmas, which I grows indoors where it gets a little morning sunlight. Last years it produced a number of flowers in Autumn, which are similar to Arum but small and with no obvious scent. I let it dry out at the end of the year then restarted in the Spring. For some reason there is no sign of flowers this year.
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    @Nanny Beach as you can see from the photo, the leaves are already dying. I brought them inside last week. The plant goes into dormancy and starts putting out new shoots in the spring. HTH.

    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Eustace,what's HTH? You put them out in summer then, pretty much every single one of my house plants go outside.
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