photography Diane Sagers Caladiums are beautiful, eye-catching plants that grow indoors or outdoors in the right conditions. The leaves combine shades of red, pink, silver, white and green, although newer hybrids also add yellow and purple shades to the palette.

by Diane Sagers

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One of my favorite plants for shade gardens is also an excellent houseplant. I knew these first as houseplants and had seen them outdoors in Florida and other warm, tropical areas. However, in recent years I discovered that they also grow well outdoors with the proper conditions.

Caladiums, also known as elephant's ears, give a feel for the tropics. This is not surprising since they are tropical plants, native to the Amazon River area of Brazil. Knowing that, you can easily guess that you should provide them with a warm, shady, humid environment. Providing humidity is the difficulty for those of us growing them in Utah. For this reason, I find them easiest to grow in our greenhouse.

I don't love these plants for their flowers; they don't need them. Their large heart- or spearhead-shaped leaves are unusually colorful and beautiful and they provide a striking bright spot in the landscape. The leaves combine shades of red, pink, silver, white and green, although newer hybrids also add yellow and purple shades to the palette.

Some come in white with green edges and veins, some are red with green edges and others are variegated through a variety of shades.

Depending on the variety and the growing conditions, the leaves may range from a dainty 2 or 3 inches to 24 inches long. The plants typically grow from 12 to 15 inches tall, although some new hybrids -- those with tiny leaves -- may only be 3 to 5 inches high. The leaves emerge from small tubers, although many people refer to the tubers as bulbs. The leaves come up and grow, then wither away and the tubers go through a four- to five-month annual rest period.

Because of their size and color, they are stunning as patio container plants, in window boxes, as border plants, alongside homes, or in beds.

Outdoor care

In the fall, dig up the tuberous roots and clean and separate them, making sure some buds are attached to each section. Store the roots in sphagnum moss or dry soil in a dark location until you are ready to start them again next spring. They should be stored at no lower than 40 degrees and ideally no higher than 60 degrees.

As you select the bulbs to save, remember that the largest tubers produce the largest plants. Likely you will find that the tubers you dug are not as big as the ones you planted. You may wish to purchase new tubers each year.

Next spring, give the caladiums a head start by planting them indoors six weeks before the last frost date. If you plan to grow them outdoors, place the bulbs in individual containers about 4 to 6 inches in diameter.

Plant the roots, round side (eye side) up 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep in rich, loose starter soil, or in vermiculite or peat moss. Water the pots well the first time, and then keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Soil must be warm for the plants to sprout. Give them time to come up; they may require as much as a couple of weeks for leaves to appear. If you want to promote a thicker mass of leaves, remove the largest bud in the center of the root.

Don't get into a hurry to transplant your caladiums outdoors because they do not like cold weather. Wait until all danger of frost is past and the soil has warmed, which is probably around the end of May in our area.

Choose a location that is shady or does not get direct sunlight and has rich soil. You want soil that can be kept moist, but it must drain well to avoid root rot. Add generous amounts of compost and manure to improve poor soil before planting.

They will grow well without too much care. Fertilize outdoors once a month with a general purpose fertilizer.

Fortunately, these plants are not highly susceptible to particular insect and disease problems.

Indoor care

Indoors, the care is similar but since the soil and light conditions are by nature different, make the necessary alterations to give the plants the right conditions. Indoors, they grow best by a well-lit window with the light filtered by a curtain. If only artificial light is available, provide at least 400 foot-candles. Ideal night temperatures are 65 to 70 degrees with daytime temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees. Keep the soil moist during the growing period and provide fertilizer every two to three weeks.

If you love these plants, consider starting a second planting six months after the first.

To grow these as indoor houseplants, plant tubers directly into the container they will grow in. Place the tubers on the soil surface of the pot where they will grow and press them 1 inch deep, bud side down in peat moss or vermiculite. When leaves appear, re-pot them in a good grade of general-purpose potting soil. During the growing period, remove any dead or damaged leaves.

Although the temperatures and other growing conditions have not changed, the plant leaves will begin to wither seven or eight months after the growth began. If you want to keep the roots to start another pot of plants later, gradually withhold water until the foliage completely shrivels and dies. When the soil is completely dry, shake the plant out of its pots, pull away any dead tops and shake soil off the plant roots. Store them for four to five months at 40 degrees or higher, then divide the roots and re-plant them.