How to Grow Elephant Ears Indoors

The caladium plant, known for its large pink and green foliage has leaves that can grow to 12 to 24 inches. The shape of the leaves gives this plant its unusual nickname--elephant ears. The plant starts life as a tuber. Similar to a bulb, a tuber is a short, fleshy stem that bears minute scale leaves that carry buds. The leaves are multicolored with spots and veins of white, pink, green and red. This plant lives well indoors or out and is dormant in the winter months. The caladium makes an interesting houseplant. It requires little care and grows easily indoors.

Things You'll Need

• Three caladium tubers
• 8-inch pot
• Potting soil
• Water
• Filtered bright light
• Tray
• Pebbles
• All-purpose soluble fertilizer
• Second pot
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Plant your caladium in the spring to early summer. Place three tubers in an 8-inch pot. Cover them with 1 inch of potting soil. Water them to settle them into the soil.

2. Provide them with bright light but not direct sunlight. In sunlight, the caladium plants will fade. Without enough light, they will become spindly.

3. Keep them moist but allow them to dry out during the winter months when they are dormant. Stop watering them in the fall when the plant starts to look stringy and tired.

4. Give them high humidity. Place the pot on a tray of water with pebbles for support. Keep it out of the water.

5. Feed them lightly, once a month, with all-purpose soluble fertilizer.

6. Repot each spring. Remove any flowers as they bloom. They drain the plant of its energy. Cut off leaves that die.

7. Keep the temperature in the room above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

References

• Weekend Gardener
• Floridata