Oglesby Plants Introducing a New Caladium at TPIE
January 10, 2024 
Kaladium Fairytale Princess
Oglesby Plants International is introducing a new caladium at the Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) in January with unique characteristics that set it apart from most other caladium varieties. ‘Kaladium Fairytale Princess’, from breeding at the University of Florida, does not have a dormancy requirement like other caladiums, which means it can be grown year-round.
Year-round growing gives commercial growers advantages in planning and production that get Fairytale Princess into the marketplace at any time, while traditional caladiums are tied to dormancy schedules. Liners will be available in limited quantities from Oglesby in 72-cell packs in January 2024. Availability will increase throughout the year and new foliage colors are expected in late 2024.
In addition to its groundbreaking aspect for year-round growing, Kaladium Fairytale Princess, Fairytale PrincessTM ‘UF 4412’ (U.S. Patent PP25,612) has other notable characteristics that distinguish it, benefiting growers and consumers. Liners are grown directly from Oglesby’s tissue culture lab, providing clean, year-round starts. It produces few, if any, flowers that can disrupt leaf development. Natural branching is excellent, and no plant growth regulator applications are required to produce a full container. With fast finish times, Kaladium Fairytale Princess is ideal for 4- to 8-inch containers eight to 10 weeks in spring/summer and 14 weeks in fall/winter. For consumers, Kaladium Fairytale Princess offers striking red foliage and rich green borders. It stands up well as a traditional garden plant or an eye-catching interior foliage plant.
“At Oglesby, we have always felt that caladium was the perfect foliage plant: grower friendly, striking color combinations, and great consumer recognition,” says Gary Hennen, President of Oglesby Plants International. “Unfortunately, tuber-grown Caladiums have high startup costs and seasonal requirements that are difficult to get around. Fairytale Princes™ is such a standout that we decided to give it a marketing name, Kaladium to say, ‘I’m different!’ Tissue cultured Fairytale Princess greatly reduces input costs while giving foliage and outdoor growers a colorful product they can grow and sell year-round.
Oglesby Plants International is a leading supplier of high-quality young plants for commercial growers worldwide. Since 1947, its mission has been to give customers the newest varieties, and the highest quality plants, and to be the most reliable young plant supplier in the industry.
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