'Florida Blizzard'—A White Fancy-leaved Caladium for Large Pots or Shady Landscapes

Abstract

Received for publication 14 May 2001. Accepted for publication 21 Sept. 2001. This research was supported by the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station and grants from the Gloeckner Foundation and the Florida Caladium Growers’ Association, and approved for publication as Journal Series R08380. Caladiums [Caladium bicolor (Ait.) Vent., syn. Caladium ×hortulanum Birdsey, Araceae Juss.] are tropical foliage plants possessing a diversity of leaf colors and shapes found in few cultivated plants. Their popularity is increasing because of their ability to tolerate summer heat and to grow in shaded locations (Harbaugh and Tjia, 1985). The general color groupings in caladium are white, red, and pink, with accents such as spots and blotches possible within each group. Leaf shapes are grouped as strap, lance, and fancy (heartshaped). A recent survey (Bell and Wilfret, 1998) revealed that white fancy-leaved cultivars are the most commonly grown group, accounting for 28% of the commercial tuber production acreage. ‘Candidum’ and ‘White Christmas’ are the most important caladium cultivars, based on acreage. Although these cultivars have been reliable producers for many years and perform well as landscape plants, especially in partial sun or shaded conditions, their performance in containers could be improved. ‘Florida Blizzard’ (Fig. 1), when compared with major white-fancy cultivars, has demonstrated the potential to produce a superior number of leaves and to produce an attractive 10-cm container plant when buds are excised (Evans et al., 1992). The unique leaf color of ‘Florida Blizzard’ is complementary to ‘Candidum’ and ‘White Christmas’, offering an attractive addition to the white-fancy segment of caladiums.