Green w/envy.

Hi, having fun looking back at such pretty pics, everyone. I've just lately got some Aroids, but of course have lots of fun with Caladiums here.

Two Cals mixed up on one pot, the black one - might be one Lari Ann calls Black Thai - put up a flower while I was out of town! Second is Jungle Rain.


Got a little start of Colocasia Blue Hawaii about a month ago, it's just now put up a photo-worthy leaf. Purple stems, veins and thin border around the leaf.


Couple of little A.Stingrays also arrived about a month ago and have doubled in size already - catalog said they'd be "3 to 4ft". Yeah right. Then I saw a picture of one posted elsewhere that was at least 8ft. tall. (sigh)

Hi Elaine, nice looking Caladium combos. Can't wait to see how Blue Hawaii and Stingray look in a few months. Are you going to keep them potted?

Evan, I'm thinking I'll need to plant the Stingrays in the ground. I have a big border along the east side of the house that is nicely shaded by a huge old live oak. Good shifting sun/shade all day, and the plants will have to compete with the oak tree roots so maybe they won't get as huge as they might if I keep them in pots. Since I have two of them, I might try one in the ground and see how it does through this summer, and next winter, then if it's ok, plant the other one in there too. Nothing like having plant insurance, huh? Blue Hawaii will stay in a pot for now. Here's a shot of the east border, featuring some nice big Tree Philos.

I just love the velvety texture on the leaves of this P. Gloriosum. I did the same with it as I plan for the Stingrays - planted one in the ground in the shady border, and left the other in the pot (but I sunk the pot near where it's brother is so I can compare how they're doing). So far the one in the ground is doing better, I think.


My P. 'Prince of Orange' are both still in pots under the oak tree, too. I like the color variation on the new leaves. Sometimes they're orange, sometimes dark red and when it's hot they're pink!

I got a bunch of clearance Hilo Beauty bulbs a few years ago, little shriveled things that I thought wouldn't do a thing. I put one in the ground and it struggled then gave up. The others I put all together in one pot, and promptly forgot about it. Luckily it was under the mango tree where it did get some water and good shade. I think I may need to divide them up this fall . . . they were bigger last year.

Elaine thanks for sharing your pix.

Beautiful!! I've been thinking of putting my Prince of Orange in the ground, I think I've got the slugs under control now. I am a bit worried that it will drown in the rainy season though. I like your idea of sinking the pot first to see how it does.

In my yard, where there's shade there are oak tree roots so I excavate holes big enough for sinking nursery pots and things do a lot better this way. Eventually the tree roots will find their way in, and you can tell because the pot plant starts to decline. I sink all my begonias - heavy drinkers and feeders with delicate roots. But some things like the P. Gloriosums that creep along the top of the soil seem to like the leafy, duffy stuff under the trees better than the potting mix. Another fun aspect of sunken pots - if the plant is something that needs winter protection, I can easily move it, and put a pot of pansies or something hardy in its place. Guess maybe that's not an issue for you in Merida, Jonna? What a lovely city!

Thanks, yes this is a lovely old city. We don't need to protect against the winter, no frosts here. I think the coldest it has ever gotten in the 5 years I've lived here was a few hours down in the 40's F one winter. That's not usual though, generally our coldest temps are the in the low 50's. This winter the lows were barely below 60°F, not a very cold winter.

I don't do well with begonia's, they almost always get a fungus and rot. Some will do fine in the winter and then die in the summer in the rains. Kind of like mint and basil, they also seem to die once the rains start. I've decided to consider them annuals.

I have a lot of roots in one of my shade beds too, from a trio of fish tail palms. I may try sinking some pots around them to give the plants less competition. I'm going to get a worker in to help me this week before the heavy rains start. I need to add peat to all the beds and dig out some of the plants that are too large before they really take off in the rain. It's too much hauling and digging for me these days, especially in the heat.

Man what a beautiful yard and collection Elaine. Love the keystone(?) lined path. Did you see the stingray on the Aroid forum? The thread "A huge Alocasia "Stingray"" in Philodendrons, Elephant Ears, and Other Aroids forum

Thanks, Evan. I'm having fun filling up that shady border with interesting foliage plants. My orchids are summer camping out there as well so there is the odd bloom.

Never did a thing with it until this year when we (finally!) put in a well so that I can now afford to water that area. It was, and still is, a pretty low maintenance area, but some of the divas I'm planting need a bit more fuss than the tree Philos and ferns that survived in there on rain alone.

Scored a couple of new caladiums at Home Depot last night - hey, you can't go there without walking through the nursery, right? Naturally no names, and the label says it an "annual, 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight". Sure, in Florida?? Give me a break. Anyway, if anybody has an IDea of who these might be, I'd be greatly appreciative.
Leaves are fairly consistent on this first one, light green background, red and white veins, dark red spots, bright green border.


Second specimen has widely varying leaves. Biggest one is nearly a foot long, mostly light pink, red veins, shading to green border. But the new small leaves are solid deep green with red veins and midrib. Medium leaves are in-between. Shut me up here, a picture's worth a thousand words.


And there is a flower!

First one is Miss Muffet

So this morning I have two caladium flowers that seem to be at the right stages to try a cross-pollination.

The black one - may be Black Thai - is all the way open, and the colored one is the NOID from Home Depot.

I can't see any pollen on the spadix of the black one, but will mess with it later when things have dried out. Stay tuned!

EE's are popping up this morning.

I just potted up my Blue Hawaii, it's getting big already. I hope this pot is big enough to last it through the summer.

Xanthosoma sagittifolium grown in dappled sun. This particular example only gets to about 3'-6" here but has nice dark green corrugated leaves with prominent veins.

A strange combination of the sun through the translucent leaf and reflection on the back of C. 'Black Coral'.

Evan that was fun, thanks.

Evan, that's a fun picture of 'Black Coral' but I think your Xantho's are fabulous.

OK my friends from the north, what is your best advise for overwintering Caladiums with no greenhouse which have been planted in the ground. It's time I prepare as we could get a frost soon.

Hoo, boy! Zones 5 and 6 for you guys! I would dig them, put them in paper bags, (or pots, or cardboard shallow boxes, whatever you've got) of barely moist new potting soil, (just a little) and keep them somewhere cool but not freezing, indoors. A cool basement would be excellent. Check on them every month or so that they are not drying out completely, but don't keep them too wet either. If you pot them up and bring them upstairs in March or April you can get them started early, if you have a good, warm spot near a window.

Mine here in FL stay in the ground, and I throw on extra mulch if the weather gets cold, but both my kids live in Salt Lake City which is a very dry Zone 5 or 6 (depending what your altitude is). I store tender bulbs for my daughter's garden in the unheated part of her basement this way.