The heart of Jesus plant is one of those shockingly vibrant, colorful plants that you feel like you just have to have. And if you’ve got the right climate, you should!
Even if you live in a region that freezes over, you can keep it inside your home or office. Talk about a conversation starter.
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A Heart of Jesus Plant Is Good for Homes and Offices
A triumph at the French Exposition of 1867, the heart of Jesus plant, better known by its botanical name of caladium, is a large, leafed plant that will thrive under the right conditions.
Those large leaves grow in bright pinks and whites and in dark and light greens. Their shape resembles a large heart hence the name heart of Jesus. This plant has also been called an elephant ear due to its unique shape.
Most of the heart of Jesus plants grown in the United States are cultivated in the small town of Lake Placid, Florida, which hosts an annual festival celebrating the town’s flower.
Clearly, this plant is much beloved and for good reason. It will grow up to 30 inches tall and at least as wide, like a giant, delicate bush of sorts. It will brighten up any room with its colors and shapes.
As a bonus, it will even clean the air! Caladiums will absorb most common household toxins then release oxygen at night, so if you were hoping for more fresh air, this is the plant for you.
Are Heart of Jesus Plants Good for the Feng Shui Flow of a Room?
The heart of Jesus plant is also great for the feng shui energy of your home or office. Caladiums are related to the water element in Chinese culture, so it will aid in mental clarity and intuition, keeping you loose, flowing, and strong, just like water.
If you’re hoping to encourage deep work, focused studying, or deep meditation practices, the caladium is the plant to have with you in that room. It would be great to sit on a corner table in your office!
For those interested in learning more about feng shui practices, check out this master class article on how to use feng shui.
Are Heart of Jesus Plants Easy to Grow and Maintain?
The heart of Jesus plant isn’t necessarily a difficult plant to grow, but it’s not a walk in the park either. You’ll need to watch the balance of moisture and lighting to ensure it stays in peak form, rich with its brilliant colors.
How Do Heart of Jesus Plants Grow?
Caladiums are native to Brazil, so they like warm, humid tropical environments. The better you can mimic this in your house or office, the better the plant will grow.
What Kind of Soil Does a Heart of Jesus Plant Need?
Regular household plant soil will be perfectly fine for the heart of Jesus plant. Just be sure it doesn’t hold water.
How Much Light Does a Heart of Jesus Plant Need?
While caladiums require plenty of bright sunlight to ensure the colors of the leaves stay rich, you don’t want the plant to sit in direct sunlight where it can get scorched leaves.
How Much Water Does a Heart of Jesus Plant Need?
The heart of Jesus plant needs to be watered thoroughly once a week during the summer, its prime growing season, and a bit less frequently during its dormant season when it will slow its growth and drop leaves.
You should check your plant in between waterings to ensure the top one-third of the soil is still moist. Once it dries out, you can water it again.
For more information on watering plants, check out my other article for signs, tips, and tricks to avoiding watering mistakes.
Other Conditions that Are Important to a Heart of Jesus Plant
Watch for spider mites and mealybugs, which may be attracted to the plant when the soil is wet, especially if the soil stays wet for a long period of time. If you do notice this happening, you can spray the leaves and the soil with neem oil, wiping the bugs off the leaves when you see them.
Also note that this plant, like most plants with vibrant colors, is highly toxic to humans and pets. Touching the sap with bare skin can cause the skin to become irritated, and ingesting it can lead to nausea and vomiting.
Heart of Jesus Plant Decorating Ideas
You’ll want to decide where to place this plant based on the colors of the plant itself. If you have big, bright pink leaves, you might want to place it in a neutral-colored pot that will allow the plant to show off.
In contrast, if your leaves are shades of green, you may choose a black or even brightly colored pot to enhance the tones of green.
Place the plant in a large pot with room to grow, and you can keep it in a corner on a nice table, giving it plenty of space to start conversations with anyone who walks in the room.
Do Fake Heart of Jesus Plants Look Real?
As easy as this plant can be to care for and maintain once you get into a rhythm, you might find it’s just too much work for you. In this case, you can always opt for an artificial heart of Jesus plant.
With the high quality of fake plants these days, you can get a fake caladium that looks just like the real thing. You’ll still love getting to display it in the perfect spot in your home or office.
If you’re wondering if artificial plants are even in style, check out my piece on whether artificial plants and flowers are tacky.
Whether you go with real or fake, you won’t be sorry to have this gorgeous plant in your space.
What do you think? Do you have a favorite spot for your heart of Jesus plant? How do you care for it? Let me know in the comments. I love to hear from my readers.
