Content
- The Buntblatt as a houseplant
- The Buntblatt is not hardy
- The perfect location in the house
- Optimal care for the Buntblatt as a houseplant
- Tips
The Buntblatt is a very attractive houseplant
The Buntblatt as a houseplant
The caladiums, which are often grouped under the German name Buntblatt, belong to the family of the arum family and are sometimes also listed under the trivial name elephant ear due to the leaf form. Since the 18th century, the exotic leaf ornamental plants are cultivated in many strikingly colored varieties as ornamental plants.
The Buntblatt is not hardy
The genus Caladium is native to tropical regions in Central and South America. Although the plant sheds all leaves at the end of each growing season and only winters in the subterranean tuber, the plant does not tolerate permanent temperatures well below 10 degrees Celsius. Therefore, due to the large-leaved elephant ear in the field, this can at best be set up seasonally as a container plant. In the house, on the other hand, the life of the attractive and partially multicolored leaves can be extended under suitable conditions, before the caladias eventually take their rest even at room temperature.
The perfect location in the house
As a houseplant, a calvary is only grateful in certain circumstances for a spot right at the window. After all, the Buntblatt tolerates quite a bit of morning or evening sun, but similar to the dragon tree it should not be given too much direct sunlight. Basically, the Buntblatt but should rather be in a warm room or near the heater, as it can grow optimally at temperatures between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. In winter, the dormant tubers are stored in a cooler room at about 12 to 15 degrees Celsius. So that they do not mold, they can be put in dry peat. In the spring, temperatures of at least 21 degrees Celsius will be needed for the new boom.
Optimal care for the Buntblatt as a houseplant
So that the preferences of these exotic tropical plants are optimally fulfilled, the planter should be filled with a rather lime-poor substrate with high peat content. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the health of the plants, if the leaves are occasionally sprayed with a little stale, room warm rain water. Also, take note of the following care tips for especially gorgeous and large leaves on this cherished foliage plant:
Tips
In the culture as a houseplant or in the greenhouse, the Buntblatt rarely forms the optically similar to the flowers of a Calla inflorescences. Offshoots can be obtained from the small nodules on the main tuber before it is used for the new shoot in a freshly prepared planter.