Grow tropical plants for a lush outdoor oasis. Caladium Varieties to Grow. In the wild, caladiums vary widely, and horticulturalists have taken advantage of that to produce a variety of cultivars.

Caladiums are perennial in USDA zones 9 to 10, but the tubers can be dug up in cold climates before the first frost and saved for replanting next spring. (Find your zone here.

All Caladium plants become dormant in the fall when existing leaves turn brown and no new leaves are produced. While they can be dried, stored and replanted, over-wintered tubers rarely perform as ...

As you begin to plan your shade gardens, give some consideration to Caladiums, grown for their large, showy leaves in assorted colors and patter.

Both types are prized landscaping plants. Caladiums grow from tubers, and cultivars range from 1.5 to 3 feet in height. Individual leaves range from 6 to 12 inches in length.

The Tallahassee Garden Club has an annual caladium sale running through Feb. 23. Caladium x hortulanum is the botanical name for this tropical foliage plant that thrives in our hot, humid summers.

Caladiums are annuals and will naturally die off at the end of the summer or early fall and, hopefully, return again the next spring. Bulbs can be dug up and preserved, or left in the ground.

Cut your plants down to about 2 feet above the ground and apply a slow-release landscape fertilizer. Then when about a foot of new growth occurs, remove the top 4 inches of each shoot.

Caladiums, with their heart-shaped leaves, ... If you store them in a cool place or try to plant too early, plants do not germinate properly and appear stunted.