Caladiums, those beautiful shade-loving plants with vibrant foliage, have been a popular choice for gardens and ornamental landscapes for centuries. However, one limitation that has always been associated with caladiums is their intolerance to full sun. Traditionally, caladiums have been considered strictly shade plants, unable to withstand direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Nevertheless, over the past half-century, there have been significant advancements in caladium breeding efforts aimed at developing new cultivars that can thrive not only in shade but also in full sun. These breeding programs have been focused on creating caladium varieties with improved tolerance to sunlight, expanding the range of environments in which caladiums can successfully grow.
The process of breeding caladiums for sun tolerance involves selecting and crossbreeding plants with desirable traits, such as increased sunlight resistance. By carefully selecting parent plants with the desired characteristics and then cross-pollinating them, breeders aim to create offspring with a combination of traits that make them more adaptable to full sun conditions.
Through many generations of selective breeding, breeders have been able to develop caladium cultivars that exhibit improved sun tolerance. These newer varieties can handle more sunlight exposure without suffering from leaf burn or other detrimental effects. This expanded sun tolerance has opened up new possibilities for using caladiums in landscapes and gardens where full sun is prevalent.
It’s important to note that while these newer sun-tolerant caladium cultivars can handle more sunlight than their predecessors, they still prefer and perform best in partially shaded areas. Even with their improved sun tolerance, excessive or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can still cause stress to the plants and negatively impact their growth and appearance.
When considering growing caladiums in your garden, it is advisable to provide them with some shade during the hottest parts of the day, especially in regions with intense sunlight or high temperatures. This can be achieved by planting them under the canopy of taller trees or using structures like pergolas or shade cloths to filter the sunlight.
To summarize, caladiums have traditionally been grown as shade plants due to their intolerance to full sun. However, breeding efforts over the past several decades have resulted in the development of new caladium cultivars that exhibit improved sun tolerance. While these newer varieties can handle more sunlight exposure than older caladiums, they still prefer partially shaded areas and may suffer from stress if exposed to excessive or prolonged direct sunlight. It’s always a good idea to provide some shade for caladiums, especially during the hottest parts of the day, to ensure their optimal growth and appearance.
