Temperature
65–85°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Caladium
Caladium bicolor
Caladium wants medium light and water every 4 to 9 days, once the surface is just dry to the touch. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans.
Light
Medium
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
Three to four feet back from an east window. Direct sun burns holes through the thin leaves within a day.
Water
Every 4–9 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the surface is just dry to the touch, not on a schedule.
Humidity
50% and up
Wants 70%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Demanding
Scores 4 of 5: Scores 4 of 5: spectacular for one season, then it drops every leaf and goes dormant for months. That is its life cycle, not a failure, and people throw out perfectly good tubers every autumn.
Habit
Clumping
Grows to 12–24 inches. No support needed.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans — poison severity medium
Contains insoluble calcium oxalates. Reported signs include intense burning of mouth and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says 2 sources concur
- ASPCA — entry for a different species in this genus: Caladium hortulanum
- Toxic to cats and dogs · insoluble calcium oxalates
- NC State Extension
- Poison severity: Medium · Calcium oxalate crystals and unidentified compounds · Burning and swelling of lips, mouth, tongue; also nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur; contact with cell sap can cause skin irritation. Ingestion by livestock or pets may cause death.
Light
Medium light. Three to four feet back from an east window. Direct sun burns holes through the thin leaves within a day.
Water
Every 4 to 9 days in a 6-inch pot, when the surface is just dry to the touch.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | keep evenly moist |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the surface is just dry to the touch |
Soil and potting
Two parts peat-free potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 1 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Leaf drop this week
- Drooping act today
- Brown crispy edges monitor
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-12.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Spider mites act today
- Aphids this week
- Thrips act today
Propagation
Division in soil. Roots in 21 to 42 days.
| Preferred method | division |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 21–42 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Caladium hortulanum Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Caladium bicolor Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q10296092 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Caladium bicolor Accepted name; family Araceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Caladium bicolor Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Photo by and (c)2006 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), Wikimedia Commons , GFDL 1.2.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02