Question
Hi Will,

I just bought a caladium from a store - because the leaves were such a beautiful color. As i read up on the net, I learn that these are annuals - and that one cant keep them as year along indoor plants?
Are these just outdoor plants? Can they be kept in a container indoors, all year long? If not, I may as well just return them.... before I do any more damage - sine I'm really looking for some color inside the house.

Thanks

Farah

Answer
Hi Farah,

Caladiums are not exactly annuals, but they do die back after several months of colorful leaf growth. They go into dormancy during which time the tubers are kept cool and completely dry for abut 4 months before they are repotted and new growth returns.

This is a lot of work so most people just treat them like annuals and discard them as soon as they start to go into dormancy.

They are tropical plans so they cannot be used outdoors except in the warmer months. To maintain the colorful foliage indoors, they must be kept in a very sunny window and they do not tolerate dryness well at all.

Given all of that, I think you will probably want to return the Caladiums. Any colorful plants will require lots of direct indoor sunlight to maintain their color. Other colorful plants for indoor use include Coleus, Prayer Plants (Maranta), Calatheas, Crotons, Alocasia, Rex Begonias, Purple Velvet Plants and Bromeliads.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp