Coleus And Caladium - Great For Containers Or Gardens
The
Coleus and Caladium are wonderful colorful
plants that can be put in a container or a ground
garden. Both of these plant specimens are considered
tropical in nature. They thrive in zones nine through eleven
are considered a tender or regular perennial. Each plant
family has a variety of species with vibrant one tone and
multi tone leaves. Both of these plants are used for
accenting a container or ground garden.
The Caladium is a wonderful indoor plant during the colder months, and does well outside during the summertime in some geographic locations.
The
Coleus has been around for years
and is native to Indonesia, India, and Asia. The
plant will do great in full sun to shade. It does
need well drained soil and the plant will be
damaged if the soil becomes too wet.
A wonderful
aspect of this specie, is its hybrids. Many
of the hybrid varieties can be grown in zones
three through eleven. In zones three through
seven they are an annual, but in some of
zone eight, they can be a tender perennial.
Zones nine through eleven are considered
a perennial.
The Coleus plant can be grown
from seed indoors and in subtropical or tropical
locations, can germinate outside in full sun.
You can also grow from stem or leaf cuttings.
Another great aspect of this plant specimen is
its beauty if planted in front of a backdrop of
evergreens. In the
theme color garden section, there is a page on evergreens and some of these plants would look stunning with the coleus.
One of the things I like to do with a garden
is to plant a mass of Coleus in front of a
backdrop of evergreens. Stagger some
Cypress
and a few
Loropetalums
along with the mass planting. This creates
a brilliant colorful garden.
Caladiumcolors range from white, pink, red and a soft
yellow tone. It is native to South America, Southern Florida, and
many Caribbean countries. The plant is
grown for its colorful foliage. The Caladium loves wet soil
conditions and cannot take the heat from
the sun in the middle of the day.
A northern or eastern exposure will work, as
well as a backdrop of larger plant specimens.
The Caladium will thrive in shade gardens
with some solid or variegated Hostas.
Another great accent plant with the Caladium
is the
Mandevilla.
The Mandevilla will do well also protected
from the midday summer heat in warmer
climates. The
Pittosporum
is a great evergreen to plant around both the Caladium
and Mandevilla. Two of my favorite varieties
to use throughout a border or shade garden is
the
Frieda Hemple which has the base color
of red with a green color. The
Candidum
is an older variety of this plant family, but also
one of the most popular. The Candidum is noted
for its white leaves and green in the veins of the
leaves.
Both the Coleus and Caladium represent great
annual suggestions for colder zones, and superb
perennial accents for sub tropical to tropical ground
and container gardens. Each of these plant families
would enhance any landscape.
