Indoor plants and potted plants to decorate the corners of the garden have become popular as many people turned to plant more ornamental plants. There is a search for various beautiful plants, and one of them is “Caladium” which Thai people have known and planted for a long time. Currently, the species of the Caladium have been developed and created new hybrids. Furthermore, it has been hailed as “Queen of the Foliage”

First, let’s get to know the queen of foliage better. The Caladium, or queen of foliage that is commonly grown, is in the genus Caladium. It is a plant that collects food underground, similar to potato tubers, where all parts are succulent. The leaves of the Caladium have many sizes and shapes, including heart-shaped, lanceolate, round or oval, and stripe. They have different beautiful colors and patterns, such as red, pink, yellow, green, and white. The spherical petioles are both short and long. Inflorescences are peduncles with bracts and have complete male and female flowers. Besides, it blooms in the evening and has a light scent.

By nature, the Caladium is a foliage plant that requires high humidity, low sunlight, and not overheating. Moreover, it is usually dormant during the winter with only the leaves remaining underground until entering the rainy season to spring new leaves and grow again. For this reason, it has been developed to be planted in cabinets or pavilions to maintain constant humidity and temperature to prevent gusts of wind. Therefore, this method will slow down the dormancy. The Caladium is beautiful all year round. Currently, there are many types of color and varieties of the Caladium that are popularly planted such as Dieffenbachia, Chang  Bi Bua, Nok Kratha, Caladium Bicolor (AIT) Vent Angel Wing, Chao Por Kaew, Siam Naruemit, and Thad Bang Kaew

For those who want to grow the Caladium in the house, we have a way to take care of them as well. The first is to choose a breed that is hardy because it will live long with us. Next is the climate. Place the Caladium in a location that has a lot of light. Should not position it in an air-conditioned room that is too cold because the plant will rest and drop all leaves. Always turn the pots so that the plants do not seek the light. In addition, taking the Caladium plants out to expose them to the sun and air every week will help them grow well. If the Caladium is dormant and discards leaves, you should refrain from watering and place the pot outdoors where the temperature is higher in the house and have more light. Just like this, your Caladium will grow strongly and produce beautiful vivid leaves for you to decorate your home.