Caladium
Sunday, June 07, 2009This Caladium bi-colour plant sprouts out every now and then from this container. A few weeks ago one leave popped out about one feet high and later surprised me with its flower.
Caladium is a genus of flowering plants in the Araceae family. Also known as Elephant Ear, Heart of Jesus or Angel Wings, this tropical plant is native to South America and is grown for its beautiful foliage. Its beautiful arrowhead-shaped leaves are marked in varying patterns in white, pink and red. There are at least 1000 cultivars.
This caladium of mine is marked with red and is quite a common one here. This plant could be placed in the open (not shaded at all). I learnt that it can be propagated by dividing the roots.
The flower consists of a spadix and spathe. I especially like to see how the hood-like bract (spathe) guards the spadix which is the fleshy upright spike.
This unique flower only opened for one day and this is only the second time my plant flowered. The last one was many months ago and it did not even get to open... it just withered away, maybe due to the hot weather.
Caution: All parts of the plant are poisonous.
I am curious... if you have a caladium, how long does the flower last?
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7 comments
Heart of Jesus or Angel Wings - very nice description. I used to have this plant for a summer, forgot to bring it indoor during winter, and lost it, too bad never get a chance to see the real flower. You flower is very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty caladium! And the pattern from the underside is interesting too. I haven't kept track of the blooms but from now on I definitely will!
ReplyDeleteHi Steph. I don't have any caladiums but I know that many people do.
ReplyDeleteMy colocasia esculenta has a similar spadix. This makes sense since they are both Araceaes. The colocasia inflorescence (spadix) is much larger and lasts for several days (but looks freshest earlier on).
Stephanie, some day I hope to show pictures of beautiful flowers like you do. Are Caladiums hard to take care of?
ReplyDeleteWOW - I am jealous! I planted bulbs this spring but have yet to see even a sprout. I put them in pots this year, last year I tried them in the ground and they rotted. I figured they would be warmer in a pot and maybe make it. Yours are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHi David, nope, this type that loves the sun is not hard to take care. But, I am still figuring out how to make the leaves grow more till it forms a 'bloom'. So far, when a new leaf grows out, the older one will wither.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful... I can understand why its called 'Heart of Jesus' :)
ReplyDeleteBut I guess we shouldn't plant it anywhere our dogs, especially mine who chews on plants :P