Description
Freida Hemple caladium brightens shady spaces with heart-shaped leaves featuring brilliant red to reddish-pink centers and contrasting green margins. This tropical foliage plant typically grows about 1–3 feet tall and wide, depending on conditions. It is well suited to porch pots, shaded beds, and warm-season mixed planters.
Plant after the soil has warmed in spring. In Alabama, provide filtered light or partial shade and rich, well-drained soil. Keep soil lightly and consistently moist during active growth without leaving tubers waterlogged. Feed lightly during the growing season. Caladiums naturally go dormant as temperatures cool; frost damages the leaves and tubers may not survive winter in colder parts of the state. Lift and store tubers dry and frost-free where needed, or grow in containers that can be protected. Best treated as a warm-season plant outside USDA Zones 9–11.
