Caladium Plant Profile

Caladium Plant Profile

Caladium (Caladium genus) is a tropical perennial bulb grown as an annual in our region.

 It has heart-shaped leaves with an array of colorful patterns that include mottled, veined, and striped. There are thousands of named Caladium cultivars available in a rainbow of colors and color combinations, including green, white, pink, rose, and red.

Caladiums were named the National Garden Bureau's 2025 Bulb of the Year for Bold Foliage.

Caladiums are native to the tropical forests of South and Central America and are hardy to USDA zones 9 to 10.

They prefer to grow in consistent moisture in well-drained soil. Most varieties do well in filtered sunlight or light afternoon shade. Some cultivars can tolerate full sun and others do best in shade.

 You can plant caladium tubers outdoors, after all the danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature are 70°F.

You can also get a head start by planting them in containers kept inside until they sprout and waiting until early summer to transplant them into the garden.

Apply a diluted liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks during the summer growing period.

The leaves can be damaged in high winds and by slugs chewing holes in them. If a leaf becomes tattered or worn, simply pinch if off at the base

They love our summer high heat and humidity and will die-back during the first real frost or freeze. If you want to overwinter them as a houseplant. be sure to dig them up and pot  them to bring indoors before the frost hits them.

Caladium: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio, video/photos, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Koree Perry.

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If you liked this video, you may enjoy these other plant profiles:

~ Coleus Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/09/coleus-plant-profile.html

~ Hosta Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/hosta-plant-profile.html

~ Hardy Ferns Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/plant-profile-hardy-ferns.html

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Monday Thoughts: “No longer will we segregate nature from the human experience. No longer will we incarcerate the natural world on uninhabitable mountain tops or unbuildable wetlands. No longer will we treat the living things around us as interesting but inessential curios, as if we didn’t depend on them in the same way an infant depends on its mother.” ~ Doug Tallamy

“No longer will we segregate nature from the human experience. No longer will we incarcerate the natural world on uninhabitable mountain tops or unbuildable wetlands. No longer will we treat the living things around us as interesting but inessential curios, as if we didn’t depend on them in the same way an infant depends on its mother.” ~ Doug Tallamy

GardenDC Podcast Episode 295: Managing Stormwater and Algae Blooms with Color on the Creek

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with water gardening enthusiast Dr. Peter Kremers about Color on the Creek's solutions for managing stormwater and algal blooms. The plant profile is on Wine Cups and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "The Parsnip and the Peanut" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 248: Water Garden Plants with Suzanne Boom

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-248-water.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 11: Lotus with Kelly Billing

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-11-lotus.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 63: Water Gardening and Koi Ponds

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-63-water.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 228: Reducing Runoff with Rain Gardens

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-228-reducing.html

Show Notes will be posted after 7/28/2026.

Visit the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society at https://iwgs.org/.

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/00qMkKxz65Kd0ephidiaef?si=dI9vpdurTzeC361O1wArRA

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Fenton Friday: Lovely Lisianthus

This week the intense heat was back and we had hardly any rain. Now we are experiencing extremely poor air quality due to smoke blowing in from the Canadian wildfires. I'm praying for rain this weekend to clear out the air and water the gardens. The smoke haze cannot be good for our plants, which are already suffering greatly from the drought and record heat waves.

I cut blooms from the Dahlias and Lisianthus (pictured above).

We weeded and watered a bit -- and picked a few Blackberries.

The Squash vines are flowering, so I expect to see baby Squash developing soon. The Eggplant and Tomato plants have lots of blossoms on them. As soon as the temperature returns to normal, they should start developing/producing fruit.

Speaking of Tomatoes, when I left last week to go tour gardens in Buffalo, NY, there was one nice-sized tomato starting to ripen on the 'Fourth of July' plant. When I got back, it was gone -- not rotting on the ground nor bitten and left behind -- just gone. I suspect a hungry critter took it (maybe of the human kind?).

For the Pollinator Strip, we are still waiting for the second batch of Nasturtium and Celosia we planted last week to germinate. The Sunflowers and Marigolds are blooming well. The Zinnias still need a few weeks.

I finally got the Pepper seedlings planted! They are a Sweet Cayenne variety and a 'Calabrian' one.

Everything else is coming along well. 

What are you growing and harvesting in your garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 15th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

Japanese Painted Fern Plant Profile

Japanese Painted Ferns Plant Profile

Japanese Painted Ferns (Athyrium niponicum) are perennial plants that highlight shady spots in the garden.

They are native to eastern Asia and are hardy to zones 3 to 8. The mature size is about 18 inches tall and wide.

The silvery highlights are the hallmark characteristic of this beautiful fern, but many cultivars also have red mid-ribs such as the award-winning cultivar ‘Pictum’. The cultivar 'Silver Falls' received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Other popular cultivars include ‘Ghost’ and ‘Burgundy Lace’.

Japanese Painted Ferns make great garden accents and look good featured in containers.

Ferns do not have flowers so they do not attract pollinators, but they do assist wildlife by providing shelter and hiding spots.

They are deer-proof and have few pests. They thrive in consistently moist, well-draining, acidic soils with lightly dappled to full shade Japanese Painted  Ferns also appreciate a top-dressing of composted leaves.

These ferns are low-care. By late winter, you will want to cut them back though as they will look a bit ratty and tattered. Divide Japanese Painted Ferns in early spring just as new fiddleheads emerge or in the early fall. Do so every few years to maintain the plant’s vigor.

Japanese Painted Ferns  - You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Editing by Koree Perry

Photos, Videos, Text, and Audio by Kathy Jentz

 

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

Hardy Ferns Plant Profile –

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/plant-profile-hardy-ferns.html

Horsetail Plant Profile –

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/horsetail-plant-profile.html

Staghorn Sumac Plant Profile –

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/plant-profile-tiger-eyes-cutleaf.html

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Win a copy of Folium: A Gorgeous Compendium of Beautiful Leaves in the July 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

For our July 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a copy of Folium: A Gorgeous Compendium of Beautiful Leaves by Jeanne Batiste (prize value: $35, Publisher: Smith Street Books. Publish date: September 1, 2026, Amazon affliate link: https://amzn.to/4f5qoFD). 

   Folium is an exquisite treasury of beautiful foliage from botanical artists through the ages. Immerse yourself in the verdant textures, forms, and moods as each page unveils the majesty of trees and leaves through the eyes of artistic and scientific visionaries. This anthology celebrates the universal language of plants—symbols of life, endurance, and renewal—that have inspired and grounded the human spirit throughout history. This enchanting volume will grace your living space and transport you to a world where branches whisper stories and beauty takes root through time. The author, Jeanne Batiste, is a writer and plant obsessive who lives in London, near her favorite place in the entire world: Kew Gardens.

   To enter to win the book, send an email by 5:00pm on Friday, July 31, to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Folium” in the Subject line. In the body of the email, tell us what your favorite article was in the July 2026 Washington Gardener issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on August 1. Entry comments might be published. 

Monday Thoughts: “Faced with planetary crisis ... What difference can an individual make in the face of such vast and seemingly insurmountable problems? The answer, as gardeners around the globe are discovering, is to create a little patch of hope in your own backyard.” ~ Isabella Tree

“Faced with planetary crisis ... What difference can an individual make in the face of such vast and seemingly insurmountable problems? The answer, as gardeners around the globe are discovering, is to create a little patch of hope in your own backyard.” ~ Isabella Tree

GardenDC Podcast Episode 294: Designing Plant Systems

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with landscape architect Thomas Rainer* about designing plant systems. The plant profile is on Dwarf Comfrey and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "Secret Letters of the Garden" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

*You can order Thomas Rainer's book Planting in a Post-Wild World at https://amzn.to/4f0EoPy 

This link is to our Amazon affiliate account and we may earn a few pennies from these sales, 

but it wil not impact your purchase price.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 89: Working with a Landscape Designer

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-89-working.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 245: Innovative Approaches to Meadow Plantings

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-245-innovative.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 173: Native Plant Fallacies

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-173-native.html

Show Notes will be posted after 7/21/2026.

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IxCQ5OJvC02ArL0MGUI6t?si=xdAJKgnOQQy9XzuF4X93JA

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc
• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/gardendc-G2ql5V
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• Himalaya: https://www.himalaya.com/courses/gardendc-1747568
• Ivy: https://ivy.fm/podcast/gardendc-940013
• Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/VIfcBjWRnw6
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/gardendc/
• PocketCasts: https://pca.st/9phvd8bk
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• Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/GardenDC
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• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
  
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• TuneIn: http://tun.in/pj7Sb
• Vurbl: https://vurbl.com/station/gardendc/
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

*You can order Thomas Rainer's book Planting in a Post-Wild World at https://amzn.to/4f0EoPy 

This link is to our Amazon affiliate account and we may earn a few pennies from these sales, 

but it wil not impact your purchase price.

Fenton Friday: Going to Seed

This week the heat broke and we had lots of rain. That means the weeds are now rampant--especially the Morning Glory vines and Mulberry tree seedlings.

The Dill flowerheads are starting to dry on the plant. I cut them to save the seeds for culinary use (mainly making pickles) and sharing.

The Lettuces have bolted. In other words, they are going to flower and forming seeds. (See the Lettuce flowers in the photo above.) I'll cut the flowers to collect those seeds in another week or so.

We spread wood chips along the side path. It always looks so good right after we do that--wish it lasted longer--kind of like right after you vacuum a carpet.

For the Pollinator Strip, we soaked and planted a second batch of Nasturtium seeds to replace those that didn't germinate earlier. Then we planted Celosia 'Flamma Pink' seeds in a row behindthe Nasturtium.

Everything else is coming along well. I think in a few weeks we will be able to start harvesting Tomatoes, Okra, and Beans regularly.

I cut more Dahlia flowers and was able to snip a few early Lisianthus blooms to put in bud vases.

I still need to get those Pepper seedlings planted! At this rate, I may just gift them to another gardener.

What are you growing and harvesting in your garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 15th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).