Caladiums

Curiosity got the better of me again and I was wondering what these plants with bright colorful leaves I often see in gardens, homes and occasionally in the wild are called, where they come from, how many varieties are there and so forth.

Well, I found out they are called Caladiums. With their pointed shaped leaves and attractive stunning colors, splashed in shades of green, white and red, they make excellent ornamental plants in the porch or room as it thrives well in shaded areas.

These tropical plants which are very well suited to our local hot and humid climate are native to South America.

Caladium comes in many varieties of various size leaves and colorful patterns.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, the poison is caused by the presence of Calcium oxalate crystals and Asparagines, a protein found in the plant.

Common Caladiums often seen are the Bicolor variety, I found five of this variants growing in my small garden itself.