Caladium is grown for its root. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11 and stands up to deer.
Caladium — the short answer
Caladium: grown in zones 9–11, part sun, pH 4.3–8.2.
- USDA zones
- 9–11
- Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 9a–10b
- Soil pH
- 4.3–8.2
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Sun
- Part Sun
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Caladium on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether caladium actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score caladium against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
What Caladium is
Caladium reaches around two feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
Mature height, bloom period and deer resistance: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Caladium
Caladium grows in USDA zones 9 through 11. Caladium does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.3 to 8.2, on evenly moist to well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 180 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
9-11
Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 9a–10b
Soil pH
4.3 - 8.2
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Part Sun
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Drainage
poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells)
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Minimum Growing Temperature
50°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Mature Height
2 ft
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Frost-Free Days
180+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Sow directly
Sow caladium seed straight into the bed — root crops germinate fast and resent transplanting. Give them part sun. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Caladium prefers pH 4.3 to 8.2. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Pull while roots are young and tender — sweeter than oversized ones. Local Cooperative Extension guides publish timing tables.
Where Caladium thrives
Caladium is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–11 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 9–11·Where Caladium growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Caladium stands, state by state
Caladium is rated for zones 9–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
Caladium’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Caladium
Growing guides for caladium
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — caladium is toxic to dogs and cats (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.)
Caladium isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Your land is one point inside Caladium's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Caladium will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether caladium actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Caladium
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Caladium in my zone?
Caladium grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11. Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Caladium?
Most growers plant caladium after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 180-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Caladium need?
Caladium does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Caladium need?
Caladium prefers soil pH 4.3 to 8.2, on evenly moist to well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Caladium attract pollinators?
Caladium isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Is Caladium safe for pets?
Caladium is toxic to dogs and cats with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.)
Keep exploring Caladium
Caladium state by state
Every state caladium's zone reaches — 10 link straight to that state's caladium growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.