Caladium
Caladium bicolor
Caladium is a bulb for edging, mid-border, suited to shade and partial shade and loam or moist ground, flowering varies by climate.
| Type | Bulb |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 45 cm |
| Spread | 45 cm |
| Aspect | shade and partial shade |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Hardiness | USDA 9a-11a |
| Pollinator-friendly | No |
| Pet-safe | No |
Where to use it in a border
At around 45 cm, it sits best along the front edge, where a low, spreading habit reads best. Give it about 45 cm of room to spread, roughly 2 to the metre when planted in a drift. It is hardy across USDA zones 9a to 11a, so check it suits your area before planting.
It appears in our lists of shade, wet soil.
Border Builder uses Caladium's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.
Flowering through the year
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Worth knowing
- It copes with ground that stays wet, which most border plants will not.
- It tolerates a shaded, north-facing spot.
- Not recorded as pet-safe; site it away from pets that graze if that matters to you.
Good companions
Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:
- Aucuba 'Gold Dust'for height behind it
- Coral Bells 'Caramel'to edge in front
- Allegheny Spurgeto edge in front
- Alumroot 'Palace Purple'to edge in front
- Appalachian Sedgeto edge in front
- Azalea 'Girard's Fuchsia'for height behind it