Caladium Fannie Munson - Angel Wings

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' is a brilliantly coloured variety of magenta pink, with large leaves edged and veined in dark green and beautifully enhanced with carmine red main veins.  A tuberous plant highly appreciated in the 19th century for bringing an exotic touch to elegant interiors, Caladium is making a big comeback in pots, as well as in ephemeral flower beds where its remarkably coloured heart-shaped leaves always make a big impact. Native to tropical America, Caladiums are tender shade plants that are grown as annuals in the garden, or as indoor and conservatory plants. The tubers should be stored dry during winter.

The genus Caladium belongs to the Araceae family and includes about 12 species native to Brazil and adjacent regions of Central and South America.  In common parlance, they are called elephant ears, heart of Jesus, and angel wings due to the shape of their large leaves. In nature, these tuberous plants grow in clearings and on the banks of rivers. They are in vegetation during the rainy season, but go dormant to escape the dry season. Note that all parts of the plant are toxic to humans.

The Caladium hybrid 'Fannie Munson' forms from spring a cluster of leaves measuring about 50-60cm (20-24in) in all directions. The leaves, about 35cm (14in) long and 20cm (8in) wide, have a characteristic elongated and notched heart shape with a tapering tip. The main veins are a beautiful carmine red, while the lamina is mostly pink, finely bordered with dark green and lightly veined with the same green on the periphery. When it occurs, the flowering is quite insignificant. It takes the form of a yellowish spathe or cone surrounding a column called a spadix, characteristic of plants in the arum family. In early autumn, watering should be reduced. The foliage dries up, indicating that the plant is going into dormancy. This is the time to dig up the tubers, which will spend the winter in barely moist peat, in the shade, in a cool room maintained between 16 or 18 °C.

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' will bring both an elegant and exotic touch to semi-shaded flower beds throughout the summer, and its particularly colourful foliage will enhance all neighbouring plants. Place it, for example, at the foot of hydrangeas, Japanese azaleas, or dwarf rhododendrons, or create a beautiful scene with Impatiens, hostas, and lobelias that appreciate the same woodland ambience. Also create magnificent flowering pots with Caladiums for the terrace or conservatory. They go wonderfully well with Coleus, Begonias, and Impatiens.