English (United Kingdom) 
Russian (Russia) Caladium
Caladium flower - family. Araceae.
Origin. South America.
Description. The genus "Caladium" is very extensive, this plant has tubers from which heart-shaped, very thin leaves on long petioles appear. The length of the leaf blade can reach 30 - 40 cm. The color of the leaves is very diverse - all shades of green, white, red, crimson, pink and purple, with spots and stripes of various shapes and sizes. The veins can be highlighted in a brighter color. The flowering of this plant is short-lived and is not of particular value, so it is recommended to remove the flower stalks so that the plant does not waste energy on flowering.
Height. Caladium can reach a height of 60 cm.
Caring for caladium at home
Reproduction
Daughter tubers during transplantation. Dividing large tubers into parts with a sharp, sterile instrument.
When caladium blooms
The flowers are inconspicuous and appear at the end of summer.
Planting and care
These beautiful plants love warmth and long daylight hours. In the fall, the plant's leaves die off and it goes into a dormant state in winter, which can last up to 5 months. However, you can save caladium until next season. In the fall, reduce watering to dry the soil, remove dried leaves and place the pots with tubers in a cool, dark place with a temperature of about 16 ° C.
Soil for caladium
Nutritious, loose soil. A mixture of leaf humus, peat and coarse river sand is suitable to improve drainage.
Lighting
A very brightly lit place, but without direct sunlight. In partial shade, the color of the leaves fades, but when grown in the sun, burns may appear on the leaves. During the dormant period, when the leaves die, caladium tubers are kept in the dark.
Diseases and pests of caladium
Leaves wrinkle and dry out if the plant is exposed to cold drafts or the indoor air is too dry. When sprayed in an unventilated area, the leaves may rot. Foliage becomes less colorful and attractive when there is a lack of light.
Insect pests may include aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs.
Growing conditions - temperature
During the growing season, caladium needs normal room temperature in the range of 20 - 24 ° C. During the dormant period, the temperature is reduced to 16 ° C.
Transplanting caladium
Sometimes caladiums are thrown away after the end of the growing season, since the entire above-ground part of the plant dies off and the plant enters a long period of dormancy. At this time, the tubers can be left in pots or removed and stored in dry peat until early spring. In spring, tubers are planted in pots so that the top layer of soil above them is the same thickness as the height of the tuber. Water the plant after planting, and place the pot in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Multi-colored leaves will appear within a few weeks.
How to water
Watering begins with the appearance of the first shoots in the spring. Caladium should be watered moderately; dry the soil before each watering. When the leaves begin to wilt, gradually reduce the frequency of watering. During the dormant period, the soil simply should not dry out completely.
Fertilizer
Every 2 weeks in spring and summer - during the growing season, with fertilizers with a high nitrogen content in half the concentration.
Spraying
High air humidity is required. Place the pot on a tray of damp pebbles or use a room humidifier. Spraying is not recommended. Does not like cold drafts, but it is worth providing for good air movement around the plant.
Purpose
A very valuable decorative foliage plant; a combination of several varieties in one pot looks great. Caladium's leaves are so showy that it is often grown alone.
Note
Unfortunately, the quality of plants sometimes decreases with age. All parts of caladium are toxic if ingested - keep it away from children and pets.
Varieties:
Caladium bicolor
A spectacular, evergreen, herbaceous plant with a height of 30 to 80 cm. The leaves are spear-shaped, on long, thin, glossy petioles. The shades of the leaf plates are very diverse and consist of all kinds of combinations of white, green, red and pink. During the flowering period, the plants form a small inflorescence - a cylindrical spike, surrounded by a waxy, thick, white or cream-colored blanket.
Caladium zamiaefolium
Surprisingly, the first name of Zamioculcas is Caladium zamifolia. Zamioculcas or dollar tree is a slow growing herbaceous perennial evergreen plant. The full name of the plant is Zamioculcas zamifolia, due to its resemblance to zamia. The stems are tall, powerful, dark green with many glossy, fleshy, elliptical leaves arranged oppositely or alternately in 2 rows. In fact, the division into leaves and stems is arbitrary - in fact, both stems and leaves are very large modified complex leaves. The leaves are up to 10 cm long and about 3 cm wide, arranged in opposite pairs. Often young leaves, with their powerful growth, literally push away old ones. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, collected in an inflorescence - a spadix surrounded by a spathe; flowering often goes unnoticed. Only old plants bloom; after flowering they can shed their leaves. As a storage organ, the plant has small tubers in the root system, reminiscent of potatoes.
