Heart to Heart® Blushing Bride Caladium

Whether planted outdoors or maintained as a houseplant, Heart to Heart® Blushing Bride Caladium will provide bright color, shape, texture, and height. Large variegated, heart-shaped leaves have pink centers surrounded by emerald borders. Ivory veining provides additional interest and subtle detail. While it blooms in spring and summer, this tropical perennial is celebrated for its unique, showy, 7-inch leaves. 

Native to tropical locations in Africa, India, and South America, Heart to Heart® Blushing Bride Caladium is heat tolerant. This strap leaf caladium is hardy in zones 10 and 11, and requires ample sun, heat, and moisture. In these conditions, its colors will shine from spring through fall.

Botanically known as Caladium hortulanum, Heart to Heart® Blushing Bride grows upright and sturdy. It is also deer and rabbit resistant. Add an accent to larger spaces by planting it in borders, beds, and foundation plantings, or create focal interest in smaller areas by growing it in a container. It works beautifully as a thriller in container combinations.

Heart to Heart® Blushing Bride Caladium Care

Choose a location that gets full sun to partial shade. Morning sun followed by afternoon shade is ideal. After spring’s last frost, plant tubers about 2 inches below the soil’s surface when the ground temperature is 60 to 70 degrees F. The soil should be consistently moist, rich, well draining, and acidic, with a pH between 5.5 to 6.5. Improve poor soil by adding compost. 

Caladiums appreciate moisture. Make sure this plant receives at least one inch of water per week. Add one to two inches of mulch to decrease moisture loss due to evaporation. Fertilize with a slow-release, high-nitrogen fertilizer such as a 12-6-6 during the spring. 

To direct more energy into foliage production, trim the blooms shortly after flowering. To overwinter the tubers in cold climates, remove all dead foliage from the stem after the first heavy frost. Harvest the tubers and dip each into a mixture of sulfur and vermiculite. Wrap tubers individually in saran wrap. Finally, store them in a box in a cool space until you are prepared to plant again in the spring. 

Heart to Heart® Blushing Bride Caladium Spacing

This caladium variety grows to heights of 15 to 20 inches and spreads of 8 to 10 inches. Space each plant 8 to 10 inches apart. Plant it in beds and borders along with companion plants, including begonias, calibrachoa, coleus, euphorbia, heuchera, hosta, and impatiens.

Heart to Heart® Blushing Bride Caladium Information