How to care for Caladium
Caladium bicolor · Araceae
Paper-thin heart-shaped leaves in impossible combinations of white, pink, and red, all grown from a knobby tuber. Caladiums are true seasonal plants: spectacular from spring to autumn, then naturally dying back to rest. Understanding that dormancy is the whole trick. Water roughly every 4 days while it's growing (about every 30 in autumn and winter), give it bright, indirect light, kept above 64°F (18°C) — it wants humid air.
Care at a glance
Keep evenly moist during leafy growth; once foliage dies back, water only barely to keep the dormant tuber from shriveling.
Bright, filtered light; the thin leaves scorch in direct sun and colors fade in gloom.
Half-strength balanced feed every few weeks while in active leaf.
Mistakes that kill this plant
- Watering a dormant tuber like a leafy plant — it rots in the pot.
- Cold exposure, which this species tolerates worse than almost any houseplant.
- Panic-discarding it in autumn when natural dieback begins.
Seasonal tips
- When leaves yellow and flop in autumn, stop feeding and taper water — it is going dormant, not dying.
- Store the dormant tuber warm (above 15 C) and nearly dry over winter.
- Restart in spring with warmth and moisture; growth resumes once soil stays above roughly 21 C.
Is it safe for pets?
We have Caladium recorded as toxic to cats and dogs.
Full pet-safety details for cats & dogsCare for your Caladium on autopilot
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Toxicity here is informational, not a safety guarantee. Those are our own records, compiled by following the ASPCA's published toxic and non-toxic plant lists and Pet Poison Helpline's plant poison list rather than copied from them — confirm anything that matters against the ASPCA's published lists, which this one is matched to, or with your vet. If your pet ingested this plant, contact your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.