Care of Angel Wing Plants
Angel wing plants, also known as Caladiums, are tropical perennials that are usually grown as houseplants. Angel wings are prized for their interesting and sometimes vivid foliage colors, including combinations of bright reds, greens, whites and even pinks. Angel wing plants have large, heart-shaped leaves that can grow up to 12 inches long. Enjoying higher humidity and warm temperatures, the Caladium can grow individually or planted in groups in larger containers. Angel wings are easy to care for and grow indoors in any climate.
Place your angel wing plant in bright but indirect sunlight. Maintain air temperatures around the plant of 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Angel wing plants, also known as Caladiums, are tropical perennials that are usually grown as houseplants.
- Enjoying higher humidity and warm temperatures, the Caladium can grow individually or planted in groups in larger containers.
Water your angel wing plant deeply two or three times per week to keep the soil evenly moistened, using warm water. Don’t water-log the soil and avoid allowing the soil to dry out.
Feed your Caladium once per week with a liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted at half the normal dosage rate. Begin feeding your angel wing plant in the spring when the first leaves completely open and unfurl, and then stop fertilizing the plant in late summer.
Keep the humidity levels high around your angel wing plant, especially during the spring and summer months. Mist your Caladium daily with warm water, and place a drainage dish filled with gravel and water beneath the planter pot.
Cut off the leaves of your angel wing plant in the fall, when the plant dies back completely. Remove the tubers and store them for the winter in a bag filled with peat moss. Store the tubers in a cool, dry, dark place until early spring.
- Water your angel wing plant deeply two or three times per week to keep the soil evenly moistened, using warm water.
- Begin feeding your angel wing plant in the spring when the first leaves completely open and unfurl, and then stop fertilizing the plant in late summer.
Tip
Replant the angel wing tubers in early spring, planting them in a pot that has drainage holes in the bottom and is filled with a mixture of one part garden soil, one part perlite and three parts peat moss. You can also divide and re-pot the tubers into separate containers to create new angel wing plants.
Warning
Watch out for insects infesting your angel wing plants, such as mealybugs, spider mites and aphids. Apply an appropriate insecticide or insecticidal soap to get rid of any pests on your angel wing plants.
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Tips
- Replant the angel wing tubers in early spring, planting them in a pot that has drainage holes in the bottom and is filled with a mixture of one part garden soil, one part perlite and three parts peat moss. You can also divide and re-pot the tubers into separate containers to create new angel wing plants.
Warnings
- Watch out for insects infesting your angel wing plants, such as mealybugs, spider mites and aphids. Apply an appropriate insecticide or insecticidal soap to get rid of any pests on your angel wing plants.
Writer Bio
Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. Terry has written articles and publications for a wide range of markets and subject matters, including Medicine & Health, Eli Financial, Dartnell Publications and Eli Journals.
