How to Grow and Care for Angel’s Wings/ Elephant Ear in Containers
Intro: Different shades of green can be pleasing to the eye, but a splash of color in the balcony garden is always a beautiful addition. The arrow-shaped leaves atop Caladium bicolor’s long stalks can take in infinite variations of colors including white, pink, red, bronze and green. Angel’s wings, also called elephant ear, is a great container plant that brings colorful foliage to a shady balcony garden. These plants can grow to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Their flowers resemble those of peace lilies with a bulbous stem beneath the flower.
Scientific Name: Caladium bicolor
Plant Type: Flowering plant grown for its colorful foliage.
Light: Full shade to part shade. Do not expose them to harsh sun.
Water: When it comes to watering your angel's wings plant, provide constantly damp, well-draining potting soil.
Zone: Overwinter these plants indoors or dig up their tubers and store them in a cool, dry place for the winter. Bring these plants indoors before the first frost. These plants can be kept out in the balcony garden all year if you live in Zone 8 or higher.
Fertilizer: Fertilize monthly
Pests and Diseases: Insect pests include spider mites, nematodes and aphids. Tuber rot, blight and leaf spot can affect your angel’s wings plant.
Propagation: Propagate the angel’s wings plant by dividing the tubers. Plant tubers 1 inch deep.
Misc. Info: Caladium bicolor is a poisonous plant. Ingestion of angel’s wings can irritate the mouth, throat and gastrointestinal tract. Angel’s wings does best in rich, acidic potting soil.
