Can I Grow Caladium in Alaska?

Zone Comparison

Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Caladium in Alaska

Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — North Slope County, not the statewide average.

Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.

Growing Season Fit

The zone check says caladium survives winter in part of Alaska, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.

GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.

Soil + Drainage Fit

Caladium tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-8.2) — 3.9 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Alaska. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Alaska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells). If your Alaska site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Alaska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

What Else to Consider for Caladium in Alaska

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Alaska growers also need to think about:

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Alaska grower, not just caladium — is covered on the Alaska growing guide.

Timing shifts within Alaska

Alaska isn't one climate. In North Slope County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 7 — roughly 33 days later than the recorded state median — so plant caladium to your county's window, not the statewide date.

Caladium needs about 180 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 11 of Alaska’s 28 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Juneau County at 180 frost-free days — 0 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.

Across Alaska’s 28 counties the frost-free season runs from 85 days in Southeast Fairbanks County to 240 days in Sitka County — a spread of 155 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Alaska county sees 147 frost-free days, which is 33 days short of what caladium needs — so on a typical Alaska parcel this is a transplant-or-protect crop, not a direct-sow one.

County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Caladium's 180-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.

Good to Know Before You Plant Caladium

Recommended Caladium Varieties for Alaska

Alaska publishes no state variety trial for caladium, so we won't invent a "best for Alaska" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (1a-9a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.

Alaska Cooperative Extension

For Alaska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for caladium, the canonical source is UAF Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Common Questions About Growing Caladium in Alaska