Family: Araceae
Author: (Aiton) Vent.
Bibliography: Mag. Encycl. 4: 464 (1800)
Year: 1800
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Caladium
Vegetable: False
Observations: C. America to Argentina (Salta)
Description
Heart-of-Jesus
Heart-of-Jesus, scientifically known as Caladium bicolor, is an intriguing and captivating plant renowned for its striking and colorful foliage. Originally documented in South America, specifically from Central America down to Argentina (Salta), this member of the Araceae family enchants garden enthusiasts and horticulturists alike with its dazzling display of heart-shaped leaves.
The leaves of Heart-of-Jesus come in a mesmerizing array of colors including shades of green, white, pink, and red, often embellished with contrasting veins or spots. This vibrant foliage makes it a popular choice for ornamental gardening and indoor plant collections, adding a touch of vibrant beauty and sophistication to any space.
The plant’s aesthetic appeal is matched by its ease of growth. Caladium bicolor thrives in warm, humid environments with filtered sunlight, making it an ideal addition to tropical and subtropical gardens. It can also flourish indoors, where it prefers well-draining soil and a humid atmosphere. Regular watering is essential, but overwatering should be avoided to prevent root rot.
In cultivation, Heart-of-Jesus can be propagated through tubers, providing an easy and effective method to multiply these stunning plants. Tubers are typically planted in spring, allowing the plant to flourish in the warmer months and exhibit its full spectrum of colors.
While Heart-of-Jesus is primarily grown for ornamental purposes, it’s important to note that it belongs to the Araceae family, a group of plants that often contain calcium oxalate crystals. These crystals can be toxic if ingested by pets or humans, causing irritation and discomfort. Therefore, placing these plants out of reach of curious pets and children is advisable.
First described in 1800, Heart-of-Jesus continues to captivate and inspire with its vibrant, heart-shaped foliage. Whether showcased in a garden bed, a container, or as a houseplant, Caladium bicolor is sure to impress with its dramatic color patterns and lush, tropical appeal.
Common Names
Eng: artist’s pallet, heart-of-jesus, angel-wings, caladium, elephant’s-ear, fancy-leaf caladium, heart of jesus
Deu: elefantenohr, engelsflügel
Swe: kaladium
Por: tinhorão
En: Heart-of-Jesus, Caladium, Fancy-leaf caladium, Angel-wings, Elephant’s-ear, Heart of Jesus, Bleeding-heart, Artist’s pallet, Fancy-leafed Caladium, Fancy-leaved caladium
Ar: كلاديون ثنائي اللون
Ca: Papagai
Zh: 花叶芋
Nl: Tinhorão
Fr: Coeur saignant, Palette de peintre, Calalou sauvage, Chou crayove, Sou crayove
De: Elefantenohr, Engelsflügel
Ms: Keladi Merah
Pl: Kaladium dwubarwne
Pt: Tinhorão, Papageio
Pt-br: Tinhorão
Es: Paleta del pintor, Kaladium dwubarwne
Sv: Kaladium
Zh-tw: 花葉芋
Th: บอนสี
Zh-hant: 五彩芋
: Heart of jesus
Synonyms
- Caladium surinamense (Miq.)
- Caladium brongniartii (Lem.)
- Caladium duchartrei (Engl.)
- Caladium devosianum (Lem.)
- Caladium bicolor f. wightii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor subvar. donizettii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. surinamense ((Miq.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor subvar. rosaceum (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. splendens ((K.Koch & Fintelm.) Engl.)
- Caladium macrophyllum (Lem.)
- Caladium bicolor var. brongniartii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Arum pellucidum (Fulchir ex Kunth)
- Caladium bicolor var. vellozianum ((Schott) Engl.)
- Caladium houbyanum (Engl.)
- Caladium amabile (Verschaff.)
- Caladium gaerdtii (K.Koch & Fintelm.)
- Caladium rougieri (Verschaff.)
- Caladium bicolor var. transparens (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. houbyanym (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. haematostigma (Kunth)
- Caladium rubrovenium (Verschaff.)
- Caladium punctatum (F.Dietr.)
- Caladium bicolor var. ketteleri (Engl.)
- Caladium chantinii (Lem.)
- Caladium bicolor f. mirabile ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor f. chantinii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium reichenbachianum (Stange ex Engl.)
- Caladium marmoratum (L.Mathieu ex Bosse)
- Caladium hardii (W.Bull ex J.Dix)
- Caladium bicolor var. regale ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium neumannii (Lem.)
- Caladium haageanum (K.Koch)
- Caladium sieboldii (Engl.)
- Caladium argyrospilum (Lem.)
- Caladium pallidum (K.Koch & C.D.Bouché)
- Caladium thripedestum (Lem.)
- Caladium bicolor var. macrophyllum ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. sieboldii (Engl.)
- Caladium lilliputiense (Rodigas)
- Caladium bicolor splendens ((K.Koch & Fintelm.) E.J.Lowe & W.Howard)
- Caladium appunianum (Engl.)
- Caladium vellozianum (Schott)
- Caladium bicolor var. rubicundum (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. albomaculatum (Engl.)
- Caladium mooreanum (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor f. verschaffeltii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium curwadlii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor f. splendens ((K.Koch & Fintelm.) Engl.)
- Caladium splendidens (Veitch ex J.Dix)
- Caladium hendersonii (Engl.)
- Arum pulchrum (Salisb.)
- Caladium ottonis (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. chantinii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. leopoldii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. lindenii (Engl.)
- Caladium enkeanum (K.Koch)
- Caladium albopunctatissimum (Jacob-Makoy ex H.Karst.)
- Caladium bicolor var. kochii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. laucheanum ((K.Koch) Engl.)
- Caladium rubricaule (Lem.)
- Caladium splendens (K.Koch & Fintelm.)
- Caladium bicolor var. stangeanum ((K.Koch) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. rubellum ((K.Koch & Fintelm.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor f. macrophyllum ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. argyrospilum ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium dussii (Voss)
- Arum bicolor (Aiton)
- Caladium marginatum (K.Koch & C.D.Bouché)
- Caladium bicolor f. brongniartii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. perrieri ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium kramerianum (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. kramerianum (Engl.)
- Caladium medioradiatum (L.Linden & Rodigas)
- Caladium regale (Lem.)
- Caladium leopoldii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. verschaffeltii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Alocasia roezlii (N.E.Br.)
- Caladium pallidinervium (Engl.)
- Caladium punctatissimum (Engl.)
- Caladium wightii (Lem.)
- Caladium thelemannii (Verschaff.)
- Caladium eckhartii (Lem. ex Engl.)
- Caladium discolor (Bosse)
- Arum vermitoxicum (Vell.)
- Caladium bicolor var. roseomaculatum (Engl.)
- Caladium lindenii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. vermitoxicum ((Vell.) Stellfeld)
- Xanthosoma sylvestre (Bello)
- Caladium bicolor f. robustum (Jonker)
- Caladium bicolor var. marginatum ((K.Koch & C.D.Bouché) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. barraquinii ((Hérincq) Engl.)
- Caladium sagittifolium (Sieber ex Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. enkeanum ((K.Koch) Engl.)
- Caladium firmulum (Schott)
- Caladium stangeanum (K.Koch)
- Cyrtospadix bicolor ((Aiton) Britton & P.Wilson)
- Caladium amoenum (Engl.)
- Caladium lilliputianum (André)
- Caladium camoensii (Van Geert)
- Caladium connaertii (Jacob-Makoy)
- Caladium barilletii (Anon.)
- Caladium bicolor f. perrieri ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. eckhartii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor f. haematostigma ((Kunth) Engl.)
- Caladium kochii (K.Koch)
- Caladium bicolor var. pellucidum ((DC.) Kunth)
- Caladium bicolor var. pictum ((DC.) Kunth)
- Caladium bicolor f. barraquinii ((Hérincq) Engl.)
- Caladium vandenheckei (Verschaff.)
- Caladium griseoargenteum (Engl.)
- Caladium pellucidum (DC.)
- Caladium pusillum (K.Koch)
- Caladium cannaertii (Verschaff.)
- Caladium bicolor var. wightii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium wagneri (Engl.)
- Caladium hortulanum (Bridsey)
- Caladium bicolor var. mirabile ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium baraquinii (W.Bull ex J.Dix)
- Caladium schaelleri (W.Bull ex J.Dix)
- Caladium verschaffeltii (Lem.)
- Caladium bicolor var. duchartrei (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. houlletii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor f. vellozianum ((Schott) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. devosianum ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium jacquinii (Ten.)
- Caladium bicolor f. regale ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium houlletii (Lem.)
- Caladium pictum (DC.)
- Caladium spruceanum (Schott)
- Caladium sanguinolentum (Van Geert)
- Caladium rubellum (K.Koch & Fintelm.)
- Caladium sororium (Schott)
- Caladium barraquinii (Hérincq)
- Caladium formosum (Verschaff.)
- Caladium concolor (K.Koch)
- Caladium bicolor f. neumannii ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Alocasia rex (N.E.Br.)
- Caladium bicolor f. devosianum ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor f. argyrospilum ((Lem.) Engl.)
- Caladium perrieri (Lem.)
- Caladium ketteleri (Engl.)
- Caladium auritum (Jacob-Makoy)
- Caladium martersteigianum (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. hendersonii (Engl.)
- Caladium purdieanum (Schott)
- Caladium laucheanum (K.Koch)
- Caladium mirabile (Lem.)
- Caladium bicolor var. bohemicum (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. rubrivenium (Engl.)
- Caladium chelsonii (Van Geert)
- Caladium bicolor var. curwadlii (Engl.)
- Caladium bicolor var. neumannii ((Lem.) Engl.)
Distribution
- Argentina Northwest (native)
- Bolivia (native)
- Brazil North (native)
- Brazil Northeast (native)
- Brazil South (native)
- Brazil Southeast (native)
- Brazil West-Central (native)
- Colombia (native)
- Costa Rica (native)
- Ecuador (native)
- French Guiana (native)
- Guyana (native)
- Honduras (native)
- Nicaragua (native)
- Panamá (native)
- Peru (native)
- Suriname (native)
- Venezuela (native)
- Andaman Is. (introduced)
- Assam (introduced)
- Bangladesh (introduced)
- Benin (introduced)
- Burkina (introduced)
- Caroline Is. (introduced)
- Cayman Is. (introduced)
- Central African Repu (introduced)
- Comoros (introduced)
- Cook Is. (introduced)
- Cuba (introduced)
- Dominican Republic (introduced)
- East Himalaya (introduced)
- Gabon (introduced)
- Gilbert Is. (introduced)
- Guinea (introduced)
- Guinea-Bissau (introduced)
- Gulf of Guinea Is. (introduced)
- Haiti (introduced)
- India (introduced)
- Korea (introduced)
- Leeward Is. (introduced)
- Malaya (introduced)
- Nicobar Is. (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Seychelles (introduced)
- Society Is. (introduced)
- Togo (introduced)
- Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
- Tuamotu (introduced)
- Venezuelan Antilles (introduced)
- Wallis-Futuna Is. (introduced)
- Windward Is. (introduced)
Additional Images
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Leaf
Taken Nov 24, 2019 by Youani Tiouka (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 18, 2019 by tenorio Patricia (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 25, 2019 by Jon Jon Drews (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 4, 2019 by Shannon Hrib-Murillo (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 31, 2020 by Duarte Gisella (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Feb 24, 2013 by R. Tournebize (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 19, 2019 by Alfredo Pais (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 22, 2013 by R. Tournebize (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 29, 2018 by Uday Wali (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 19, 2019 by Hernández josefa (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Apr 27, 2021 by Asim Kumar Mishra (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 3, 2022 by Norman Reyes (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 16, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 28, 2021 by Gustavo Marin (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 17, 2019 by OTS – R. Aguilar (cc-by-nc-sa)
Habit
Taken Apr 17, 2019 by OTS – R. Aguilar (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Kor!An (Корзун Андрей) (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2019 by Leah Cross (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 17, 2021 by arraes reino daniel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 7, 2014 by Thomas Delhotal (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Jan 21, 2021 by JOSE Hokson (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 17, 2022 by Oliveira Vander (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Oct 27, 2019 by Vieira do Nascimento Paulo (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 27, 2022 by Silvio Garcia Guzmán (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 28, 2022 by Pineda Yarení (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 18, 2022 by Tasneem Ezzy (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 18, 2017 by vini (cc-by-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2868390)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30010088-2)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent.)
Specifications
Growth habit>: Forb/herb