FLORIDA HARVEST

To this day, the UF/IFAS research center in Balm, in Hillsborough County, has a specialty program for the research of caladium varieties and disease prevention. Happiness Farms is proud to help fund that research.

Paul Phypers is credited with developing the rare and colorful Galaxy—one of the 50 varieties of caladiums that are commercially available today—and is exclusive to Happiness Farms. Family-owned and operated, the farm o ers group tours for 15 or more (call to schedule), a gi shop, and growers act as tour guides during the town’s annual Caladium Festival.

“We plant our large yard with thousands of beautiful caladium bulbs for the guests to walk through to get inspiration for their own plantings,” notes Phypers Daum. FCM

Roundup

Happiness Farms

704 County Road 621 E. Lake Placid, Florida 863-465-2313, happinessfarms.com

Caladium Festival of Lake Placid

July 23 to 25, 2021 caladiumfestival.org

(Event includes bulb and plant sales, entertainment, food booths, a car show on July 24 and bus tours to the caladium fields with a tour guide who is a grower.)

At le is Red Flash, a popular variety that grows large leaves and gets tall. Right is Florida Cardinal (Fancy Leaf variety) in back row and Cosmic Delight (Lance Leaf variety) in front. Below, caladiums seem to go on forever at Happiness Farms.

LAKE PLACID, FLORIDA, IN HIGHLANDS COUNTY, IS CALLED THE “CALADIUM CAPITAL OF THE WORLD” BECAUSE 80 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S SUPPLY IS GROWN THERE.