Heart to Heart Chinook Elephant Ear (Caladium 'Heart to Heart Chinook')
kah-LAY-dee-um 'Heart to Heart Chinook'

Annual (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright, Mounded in the Araceae Family
A compact, uniformly mounding Heart to Heart® caladium with salmon-pink flushed green leaves -- the 2026 Caladium of the Year, equally at home in sun or shade.

Caladium 'Heart to Heart Chinook' is a patented (USPP27,094) Heart to Heart® series caladium bred by Robert Dale Hartman of Classic Caladiums from a cross of 'White Wonder' and 'Kathleen'. Its medium green leaves are flushed with salmon pink and accented by dark pink venation and green edges, on a compact, upright, uniformly mounding, very fast-growing plant. It tolerates full sun to full shade and is night-fragrant when flowering, which begins unusually early, about four weeks after growth starts.

Pros

  • Compact, uniformly mounding habit -- tidier than many caladiums
  • Salmon-pink and green foliage, full sun to full shade
  • Very fast growing; patented (USPP27,094)
  • Deer-resistant

Cons

  • Not winter-hardy in the Chicago area -- grown as a warm-season annual
  • Tubers are toxic if ingested by pets or people
  • Can be damaged by temperatures below 60°F
Highlights
  • Salmon-pink and green foliage
  • Full sun to full shade
  • 2026 Caladium of the Year
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 15 - 20 inches tall. 10 - 14 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 8b - 11a (Usually hardy to 15° F)
Tags Annual, Annual in Chicago, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Full Shade, Full Sun, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Potentially Toxic, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Tender Perennial, Thrillers, Tropical
Bloom Period Summer
Flower Color White
 

Awards

Photos of This with...

Heart to Heart Chinook Elephant Ear, Heart To Heart White Wonder Elephant Ear, Angelface Cascade Snow Summer Snapdragon, Asparagus Fern, Heart To Heart Rose Glow Elephant Ear, Heart to Heart Dawn to Dusk Elephant Ear, Heart to Heart Raspberry Moon Elephant Ear, Excelente Croton, Diamond Snow Spurge, Rockapulco Orange Shades Impatiens, Kimberly Queen Fern, ColorBlaze Apple Brandy Coleus, ColorBlaze Wicked Hot Coleus, ColorBlaze Wicked Witch Coleus,
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/17
2024 : 02/08 - 05/18
2023 : 03/02 - 05/21

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!