Fancy Leaved Caladiums 
The Fancy Leaved Caladium is the pot plant par excellence, for summer and 
early Fall. They are forcing the tubers for spring and even holding them back for 
late fall planting to have them in full leaf for Christmas (the red ones) in the 
American florist trade at this time. 
Fancy Leaved Caladiums are tubers from tropical America—Brazil, Columbia, 
Peru, etc., and are members of the “‘Elephant Ear’’ family. They range in size from 
the dwarf species Caladium Argyrites, 6 or 8 inches tall, of which we have perhaps 
the only stock in the country, to the giant (3 feet tall) large-leaved highly colored 
hybrids of Dr. Henry Nehrling, Theodore L. Mead and other hybridizers. They are 
a particularly fine Florida plant as they revel in warmth, rich soil and part shade, 
having only the root knot nematode as their enemy, on thin, sandy soils. The nema- 
tode is restricted in activity in the heavy soils which suit the caladium. 
Caladiums are Aroids, with insignificant calla-like blooms, their main glory being 
the high coloring and gorgeous window-pane effects of the leaves of various kinds. 
They prefer a warm, humid atmosphere. 
The old spotted Caladium bicolor was known in horticulture since 1769, but the 
modern hybrids date from the middle of the 19th century, when hybridizers began 
to work on new species introduced from the Amazon region. Louis Van Houtte, 
Alfred Bleu, C. J. Bause, J. Luther, Adolphe Jaenicke, Adolph Lietze, Theodore L. 
Mead and Dr. Henry Nehrling are among the names of the outstanding hybridizers 
through the decades. 
Thousands of seedlings were raised by the hybridizers, and introduced as named 
varieties in many cases, but only a few of the older varieties survive in general 
horticultural trade circles and even in collectors gardens there are only a few hundred 
kinds to be found today. The nomenclature is badly confused. 
Well rotted cow manure and sandy leaf-mold loam, from the woods, will make 
the best mixture available for fancy leaved caladiums. Pulverized sedge peat, and 
heavy loam may be used in the potting soil. Be sure to use soil free from root knot 
nematode in all cases. In the lower south, the bulbs may be planted on mucky beds 
or in filled-in beds of manure and leaf mold loam and peat in any garden spot where 
they will have plenty of moisture and part shade. Full sun destroys the beauty of 
the colors of the more delicate varieties, but they should have plenty of light. 
NEW ARROW-AND-LANCE-LEAVED VARIETIES 
Among the novelties which we announce with the publication of this catalogue . 
is a new race of the rare arrow-and-lance-leaved Fancy Leaved Caladiums, first origi- 
nated by T. L. Mead from the narrow-leaved species C. albanense, crossed with the 
larger hybrids. For some years there have been a number of varieties of these, in- 

PRINCE EUGENE NAPOLEON, LEFT, AND CHANDLER], usually known as 
Chandleri Elegans, two fine standard varieties of Camellia japonica, romantic flower 
of the Old South. We have small plants of these and other varieties for sale. 
