‘Icicle’: A White Lance-leaved Caladium Cultivar for Containers and Shady Landscapes

Abstract

Caladiums (Caladium •hortulanum Birdsey, Araceae Juss.) can be grown in containers or planted in the landscape as accent and border plants (Evans et al., 1992). They are valued for their long-lasting colorful foliage. Most of the commercially available caladium plants are forced from tubers. Florida growers supply essentially all the caladium tubers used in the United States and some 40 countries in the world for the production of pot plants and direct planting in the landscapes. New cultivar introductions are important not only to the Florida caladium industry but also to the greenhouse, nursery, and landscape industries. Commercial caladium cultivars are often grouped into eight categories based on their leaf type and impact color [fancy white, red, pink, and novelty, and lance (or strap) white, red, pink, and novelty] (Bell et al., 1998). Recent surveys of the Florida caladium industry indicated that 51 caladium cultivars were planted in 2013 with two or more acres planted per cultivar (Deng et al., 2008; Z. Deng, unpublished data). Among the white lance-leaved cultivar groups are 'Florida White Ruffles' and 'White Wing'. 'Florida White Ruffles' was released by the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences caladium breeding program in 2001. It was primarily bred for forcing in small containers and hanging baskets (Baldwin et al., 2002). 'White Wing' has been in commercial production for many years and was ranked 3rd among all lanceleaved cultivars in the acreage planted in 2013 (14.3 acres). 'Icicle' is a new addition to the white lance leaf cultivar group, and, here, we report its origin, tuber yield potential, plant performance in containers and landscapes, and resistance to Fusarium tuber rot, a major fungal disease of caladium that has caused substantial economic losses to the Florida caladium industry (Goktepe et al., 2007).