How to Plant, Grow, and Care For ‘Lemon Blush’ Caladium

Caladiums have few rivals when it comes to flamboyant, tropical foliage. This versatile group of plants is famous for its use in the shade garden and as a houseplant. They are fast-growing, reaching their mature size in one season. 

Their low light tolerance and high humidity needs make these a great plant for the bathroom window. The foliage in shades of red, white, green, and yellow can brighten up any room. 

Caladiums are perennials in warm climates, but don’t fret. If you live in a cooler climate, you can still grow these as annuals or bring your bulbs in for the winter. I’d love to share a stunning new cultivar called ‘Lemon Blush’ with you. You’ll love this bright and cheerful variety!

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‘Lemon Blush’ Caladium Overview

Botanical Name Caladium Heart to Heart® ‘Lemon Blush’ Plant Type Tropical Perennial Family Araceae	Native Area South and Central America Exposure Partial to full shade Height 12”-24” Watering Requirements Moderate	Pests & Diseases Aphids, fungal diseases Maintenance Low to Moderate Soil Type Rich, moist, well-drained Hardiness Zone 10-11

What Is ‘Lemon Blush’ Caladium?

‘Lemon Blush’ is a beautiful hybrid caladium with extra-colorful leaves. It is the Proven Winner’s 2024 Caladium of the Year winner, and it’s not hard to see why. With its lovely heart-shaped foliage and bright, tropical appearance, it works excellently in the garden or as a houseplant. Let’s talk about how to care for this attractive tropical perennial.

Characteristics

Caladium roots are knobby, woody tubers. They form a rhizomatic underground system of tubers and roots by which they reproduce. In warm climates, such as Zones 10-12, you can leave the bulbs in the ground over the winter. In cooler regions, you can grow these annually or dig up the tubers in the fall and store them for the following year. 

‘Lemon Blush’ caladium is most well known for its large, heart-shaped leaves. There are many varieties and a vast amount of variation among them in terms of leaf size and color. Often, shades of red, yellow, and green show up together in different patterns.  

Some cultivars are bred to have more arrow-shaped leaves, but ‘Lemon Blush’ definitely falls at the heart-shaped end of the spectrum. The leaves are chartreuse, leaning toward yellow, with a rosy pink heart in the center. Bold red veining runs throughout.

Caladiums do produce flowers, though they are typically not the main draw. These are primarily foliage plants. When they bloom, the flowers resemble those of alocasia and colocasia. Like other aroids, a single spathe surrounds the central spadix. 

Native Area

Caladiums are tropical rainforest plants. They grow wild in areas of South and Central America near equatorial regions. They are naturalized in other areas of the world, such as India, Africa, and several tropical islands where they were introduced. 

As tropical rainforest inhabitants, you will find these on riverbanks, under trees, and occasionally in sheltered clearings. As understory plants, they thrive out of the reach of direct sunlight. 

Planting

Planting depends heavily upon your climate and whether you’re putting these in the ground or keeping them as houseplants. For optimal growth, they prefer the soil temperature to be about 70°F (21°C) or higher. In mild climates, early spring is planting time. 

If you live in a cooler climate, hold off on planting until May. Plant these in a space with little to no direct sunlight, though some morning exposure is fine. 

Choose a location or potting soil with good drainage, as the bulbs are vulnerable to fungal rot. In a container, use rich soil with some perlite mixed in for drainage. Make sure your container also has a drainage hole in the bottom. 

Transplanting

Dig a hole twice the width and two inches deeper than your bulb. Sometimes, you may receive tubers with a mass of roots attached. These are a bit more difficult to work with, but you don’t need to cut these roots to plant them properly. Do your best to locate the tuber’s eyes and plant them facing upward. Backfill the holes and then water in your tubers thoroughly. 

How to Grow

Caladiums aren’t complicated. They like moisture but need good drainage, and they don’t tolerate much direct sun. Other than that, they are surprisingly low-maintenance for such flashy foliage plants. 

Light

As understory plants, caladiums don’t like much direct sun exposure. They do, however, appreciate a fair amount of bright light. Some caladium varieties can tolerate more sun, but ‘Lemon Blush’ is a lower-light variety. 

Outdoors, plant your bulbs in a spot that gets either partial sun, with most of the exposure in the morning, or in dappled shade. They can grow in nearly complete shade, but they will do better with filtered light. 

Indoors, place these close to, but not directly in, a brightly lit window. A window with privacy glass or behind a sheer curtain is appropriate if you want to keep this plant in a sunny area of the home. 

Water

Caladiums need a moderate amount of moisture, but they don’t like to be waterlogged. Keeping the soil constantly wet will result in bulb rot. 

Without adequate moisture, the leaves will suffer, first wilting and then turning yellow before ultimately falling off. The leaves will fall off on their own in the fall, and the plant will go dormant. 

While dormant, don’t water at all. Your bulbs will not absorb it, and you’re more likely to cause fungal issues. Begin watering again in the fall when the soil warms up to bring them out of dormancy. 

Soil

Slightly acidic, organically rich soil is ideal for your caladiums. Before planting, amend the soil with leaf mulch, compost, or manure to enrich it long-term. In a container, use a good-quality potting mix amended with compost or worm castings. 

Drainage is equally as important as nutrients. For this reason, amending dense soil is a must. If you have sandy or loamy soil to begin with, you shouldn’t have to worry about drainage. 

Temperature and Humidity

These are tropical plants and not cold-tolerant. In Zone 9, they will tolerate brief periods of cold weather, but north of that, they will die off if you leave them in the ground. 

Hot and humid conditions are ideal for this plant. As the weather cools, your plants will begin to drop their leaves and prepare for dormancy. In Zone 9, I would cover the ground with a thick layer of mulch before the first frost. I have had some difficulty getting these through the first winter in my Zone 9 garden without some protection. 

If storing your bulbs over the winter, keep them in a cool, but not cold, dry space. Don’t let the temperature dip below 55°F (13°C). The amount of light doesn’t matter for storage, just the temperature.

Fertilizing

If you have amended your soil to make it organically rich, you won’t need a ton of fertilizer. A single application of slow-release fertilizer in spring will get you through the season. If you prefer to use a water-soluble formula, once per month should suffice.

For houseplants, use a water-soluble formula monthly. Because they have limited soil to pull nutrients from, most houseplants need supplemental nutrients on a regular basis. In any situation, a balanced formula will work well for your caladiums. Don’t fertilize while the plant is dormant. 

Maintenance

Caladiums don’t require much additional maintenance. If your plant blooms, removing the spent flower will help your plant utilize nutrients more efficiently. If any leaves look unhealthy throughout the season, snip them off to avoid fungal issues as they rot. 

When the plant goes dormant, the leaves will turn yellow and then brown before dropping to the ground. If they don’t fall off on their own, you can help them along by cutting them to the ground before applying a layer of mulch. 

Propagation

Because ‘Lemon Blush’ caladium has a registered plant patent, it is illegal to propagate. In cold areas, though, you’ll need to lift the tubers from the ground in the fall. For bulbs that you dig up, let the foliage die back and use a gardening fork to gently remove bulbs from the ground. 

Store your bulbs in an area that is cool enough to keep them in dormancy, but not warm enough for them to sprout. Between 55 and 60°F (13-16°C) is best. Ensure they are dried and cured before wrapping them in paper and putting them in a box over winter. Check them periodically to ensure they don’t take on mold. Then replant in spring. 

Common Problems

Caladiums aren’t especially complicated, and they don’t have an excessive number of pests or diseases to contend with, but there are a few things that could crop up to look out for.

Pests

Aphids are the main garden pests that threaten this plant. Spider mites, mealy bugs, and scales can also show up. Introducing and encouraging populations of beneficial insects is the safest way to control nuisance insects without harming pollinator populations. 

However, more drastic measures may be in order if you find a particularly bad infestation. Try horticultural oil or neem oil rather than insecticides.  

Diseases

The most common type of disease to affect caladiums is fungal in nature. Because they don’t like a lot of sunlight, when the soil stays wet, there is a high risk of fungal pathogens proliferating around the bulbs. The ultimate result is usually root or crown rot. 

Proper drainage, created by amending compacted soil and planting strategically, is the most important factor. Avoid overwatering, as well. If you get regular rain, don’t supplement. In times of extreme drought, water only once or twice weekly, but water deeply. 

Leaf Discoloration and Drop

Both overwatering and underwatering can cause leaf discoloration and drop in ‘Lemon Blush’ caladiums. An underwatered plant will appear dry, with brown patches forming at the leaf edges. An overwatered plant will have drooping yellow leaves that may pull away easily. A mushy crown is another sign of fungal rot.