Caladiums in Thailand - not just a personal passion but a borderline-obsession...

Introduction to the Caladiums of Thailand.

When moving to Thailand, the first plants that I was on the lookout for were Caladiums – amazing, splashy and flamboyant aroids that I have only seen in magazines and has kept me drooling for years. I was not disappointed. They are even more magnificent in real life and today I am the proud owner of about thirty beautiful cultivars, all growing beautifully in the full sun, with a few seedling trays full of promising new varieties.

Thai caladiums mostly display brilliant and saturated colours, not so often seen in varieties found in the West. They are also possibly not as vigorous as the flamboyant American varieties used as bedding plants, and are best used as pot plants or even as container plants. Like all Caladiums they like warmth and moisture when in growth. Also, the Thai cultivars have bulbs that are generally smaller than the bulbs of conventional bedding varieties.

Caladiums in Thailand have a fascinating history. As the story goes, caladiums we initially imported into Thailand during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, who became King of Siam in 1858 at age fifteen. This King saw the need for Siam (Thailand today) to be modernized, not only to develop as a nation but also only to avoid being colonized by the European powers, as was the case with a few of its neighbouring countries.

It seems that the first caladium introduced to Thailand was a variety called ‘Prince of Denmark’. It was crossed with a white variety that the Thais call ‘Neow’ to produce a race of wonderful and unique hybrids. For many years the breeding and cultivation of these caladium hybrids was carried out in the palace grounds for the exclusive enjoyment of the royal family. In time, wealthy citizens, especially those connected to the royal family and the military, started to breed and grow these new varieties and these unusual new plants soon were seen in competitive displays and shows in Bangkok.

It was only a matter of time before these also became available in the plant markets, at huge prices. They have subsequently also become extremely popular in greater Thailand and nearby countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and China. It was especially the unique intense red colour of many of the new Thai caladiums that found favour with the ethnic Chinese people, who consider red to be the most auspicious and favoured colour.

Today the breeding programs are still ongoing by some private Thai breeders and new varieties are still emerging in Thailand. A number of these new hybrids have been imported into the USA and are being used in their breeding programmes to bring forth more vigorous hybrids with the fantastic array of colours and shapes that are found in these Thai plants.