Plant guide
Caladium
Caladium bicolor
Caladium is toxic to cats. Chewing can cause mouth pain, drooling and difficulty swallowing. Keep it out of your cat’s reach and contact a veterinarian after suspected ingestion.
What this guide covers: Caladium bicolor only. Confirm the botanical label; a photograph cannot identify a visitor’s specimen.
Photo:
Photo details
NC State Extension — Caladium bicolor
By Cathy Dewitt
License: CC BY 4.0
Original photograph unchanged; proportionally resized for review and display.
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Photo:
Photo details
NC State Extension — Caladium bicolor
By Cathy Dewitt
License: CC BY 4.0
Original photograph unchanged; proportionally resized for review and display.
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Keep away from cats. We do not recommend this plant for a home where cats could reach it.
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Look for Caladium bicolor and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Caladium bicolor
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Caladium bicolor only; the care categories summarize the cited growing guidance.
- Light
- Varies by type
Choose partial to deep shade.
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist
Keep soil moist during active summer growth.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
Protect the tubers from freezing. A preferred numerical growing range was not established in the reviewed source.
- Potting
- Use fertile, acidic, organic-rich soil with good drainage.
- Through the year
- Leaves can die back in winter; lift and store tubers where outdoor winter conditions are too cold.
Growing-guide sources
- Caladium bicolor identity and growing guidance ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-17
Exact named plant; outdoor and seasonal conditions retain their original context.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-17. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Severity
- Severity not established
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Caladium cat/pet safety reference ↗ASPCA · Accessed
Listed by the source as Caladium hortulanum. ASPCA names Caladium hortulanum as toxic to cats. NC State lists Caladium x hortulanum as the previous name under C. bicolor. Pet Poison Helpline corroborates caladium’s oxalate irritation. The proposed guide is limited to C. bicolor; no general elephant-ear alias is added.
- Caladium cat/pet safety reference ↗ASPCA · Accessed 2026-10-17
- Caladium bicolor botanical identity ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-17
ASPCA names Caladium hortulanum as toxic to cats. NC State lists Caladium x hortulanum as the previous name under C. bicolor. Pet Poison Helpline corroborates caladium’s oxalate irritation. The proposed guide is limited to C. bicolor; no general elephant-ear alias is added.
- Caladium: supporting reference ↗Pet Poison Helpline · Accessed 2026-10-17
- Caladium: supporting reference ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-17
Safety last reviewed .