'Florida Whitewater'—A White Lance-leaved Caladium for Small Pots, Hanging Baskets, or Sunny 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 R-08379. Caladiums [Caladium bicolor (Ait.) Vent., syn. Caladium ×hortulanum Birdsey] grown for their colorful foliage are members of the aroid family (Araceae Juss.) native to tropical America (Croat, 1979). Although their native habitat largely consists of dense, moist forests with heavy shade, many of the ≈90 cultivars grown today retain their bright color in full sun (Bell and Wilfret, 1998). Demand for caladiums is increasing because of their great diversity in leaf color and shape, adaptability to various light conditions, and relatively low maintenance requirements (Harbaugh and Tjia, 1985). As much as 90% of the caladium tubers produced are used by the container plant industry primarily in 10and 15-cm containers (D. Bates, personal communication). Many popular cultivars require excision of dominant buds (de-eyeing) on the tuber in order to produce an attractive container-grown plant. Bud excision eliminates apical dominance resulting in greater leaf production and reduced plant height (Evans et al., 1992), but is a costly, labor-intensive procedure. ‘Florida Whitewater’ (Fig. 1) is a highly compact plant producing numerous, uniquely narrow, lanceolate leaves without requiring bud excision. Excellent sun tolerance enhances its potential usage in the landscape as a border or in combination with caladium cultivars with differing foliar and growth habit characteristics.