Heart of Jesus Caladium (Môn Tim)
🌵 Product Name: Caladium grown plant in plastic pot
🔬 Scientific Name: Caladium hortulanum (syn. Caladium bicolor)
☠️ Medicinal value: Not used medicinally — the plant is toxic. It contains calcium oxalate crystals throughout its tissue and causes irritation, burning, and swelling of the mouth and throat if chewed or ingested; grown strictly as an ornamental, never for therapeutic use.
🌎 Origin: Native to tropical South America, especially the Amazon basin (Brazil, Colombia, and neighboring regions).
🎨 Uses: Purely ornamental — prized for its large, colorful, patterned heart-shaped leaves (mixes of green, white, pink, and red). Popular as an indoor houseplant, shade garden bedding plant, and potted patio accent.
🌡️ Plant needs: Warm temperatures (65–85°F / 18–29°C), high humidity, bright indirect light (no direct sun, which scorches leaves), and rich, well-draining, consistently moist soil. It grows from a tuber and goes dormant in cooler months.
💧 How to care: Water regularly to keep soil moist but not soggy; reduce watering as leaves die back in fall/winter dormancy. Keep in indirect light or partial shade. Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Maintain humidity with misting or a pebble tray. Protect from temperatures below 60°F (15°C) — bring tubers indoors or store dry over winter in cold climates, then replant in spring.
⚠️ Warning (children & pets): All parts of the plant are toxic if chewed or swallowed, due to insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. Symptoms include intense mouth/throat burning, drooling, swelling, and difficulty swallowing; cats and dogs can also experience vomiting. Keep out of reach of young children and pets, and contact a doctor, vet, or poison control immediately if ingestion occurs.
