Caladium Araceae : pronounced decorativeness
Caladium's striking beauty makes it a popular plant. Gardeners and designers like it, despite some growing challenges. It comes from tropical areas. So, caladium needs warm, humid conditions to thrive.
Caladium is known for its large, showy leaves. Many love this plant for its exotic look. The leaves are shaped like hearts or arrowheads. They often have bright veins with two colors. Leaves can be purple, yellow, white, red, or green.
This plant has no stem. Leaves grow from the base, forming dense bunches up to 20 inches wide.
The root is a flat, round bulb, about 3-4 inches across. You can see where new growth will sprout on top. There are also dormant buds on the sides.
The caladium's flower is often mistaken for part of the plant. It appears after a few leaves grow. It looks like a spike with small flowers inside a pointed leaf. This outer leaf often matches the color of the other leaves. The bloom lasts only a day. Then, orange-red berries grow in its place after a month.
Caladium is poisonous. It is dangerous to eat or even touch.
Wear gloves when handling this plant. Keep children away from it.