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Crotons come in a wide variety of leaf shapes and colors. Leaves can be short, long, twisted, thin, thick, and several of these combined. Colors range from green, variegated, yellow, red, orange, cream, pink, and black to a combination of all these.
How do you care for a croton plant?
How to Care for Croton Place croton in a sunny location such as an eastern, southern, or western window. Keep the soil evenly moist, but let it dry out between waterings. If humidity is low in your home, mist around the leaves with water once a week or keep a tray of wet gravel near the plant.
Do crotons need sun or shade?
Where to Grow Croton Plants. Croton plants develop their best colors when grown in bright light. As houseplants, they must be situated in a sunny window. They will tolerate medium light indoors, but won’t grow much and foliage may revert to plain green.
What is the croton plant good for?
Croton is a plant. The oil from the seeds is used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, people take croton seeds for emptying and cleansing the stomach and intestines. They also take croton seeds to treat gallbladder problems, colic, blocked intestines, and malaria.
How do you identify a croton?
The croton is an evergreen, vigorous shrub. The branching pattern is free and irregular. Simple leaves are entire to deeply lobed, whorled around the stem and often clustered at the ends of branches. Leaf color varies widely in combinations of green, red, and/or yellow.
Is croton an outdoor plant?
Crotons (Codaeum variegatum), also called garden crotons or variegated crotons, are perennial evergreen shrubs that do best outdoors in planting zones 9-11, but are also popular additions to indoor landscaping in greenhouses or as house plants.
How much sunlight does a croton plant need?
Croton plants prefer full sun, but depending on the species, some can tolerate partial shade. The amount of sun that the plant receives will correlate to the intensity of its color. In order to attain full, vibrant color, the plant should remain in good light.
What is the lifespan of a croton plant?
The average lifespan of indoor croton is two to four years. To keep your plant outliving its lifespan, take stem cuttings from a mature, healthy plant to propagate the plant.
Do Crotons like lots of water?
Crotons need plenty of water. Even though they need good drainage they should not be allowed to dry out, which can happen in winter. With a container plant, don’t let the soil dry completely before watering.
How often should I water croton?
Watering a Croton plant depends on the situation. It can be daily or weekly because you should never let the soil stay dry for an extended period. However, check if the soil is dry before watering to avoid overwatering and root rot. Keep your Croton plant evenly moist in the summer.
Is croton plant poisonous?
Yes, the croton house plant is toxic for plants and people, but only if it’s digested. If any part of the croton is ingested, it would cause vomiting and/or diarrhea, and in large doses could be fatal.
Do Crotons lose their leaves in winter?
Crotons are sensitive to cold temperatures which can be a common cause of dropping leaves in the Winter months even indoors. If the soil and air is too dry then the croton drops its leaves to prevent losing more moisture through transpiration (water loss from the leaves) as a survival strategy.
Is a croton an annual or perennial?
It is a tender perennial, hardy only in zones 11-12. In subtropical and tropical climates they are frequently used as landscape shrubs for dramatic hedges, bold focal points in gardens, or potted specimens around buildings. Croton is a small shrub used as a landscape plant in tropical climates.
Do Crotons flower?
Crotons are generally bushy plants with large, leathery, shiny leaves. They do bloom, but their tiny, star-shaped yellow flowers are insignificant, hanging down in long clusters between the large leaves. Crotons are native to southern Asia and certain Pacific islands, where they grow as semi-tropical plants.
Are Crotons invasive?
Crotons prefer a humid environment, so weekly applications of water, especially when conditions are unusually hot and dry, keep them happy and healthy. Because their root systems aren’t invasive, feel free to plant them around foundations and close to your house.
What plants look good with Crotons?
Crotons as Annuals They are eye-catching and attractive companions for coleus, canna, celosia, lantana, angelonia, marigolds, and other seasonal favorites. Many croton varieties, including popular ‘Petra’ are variegated with shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Can I put croton Petra outside?
Croton is very frost tender and will not survive freezing temperatures. Southern gardeners in frost free zones should have no problem growing croton plants outside. Anyone who lives where there are temperatures that near freezing or 32 degrees F. Also, place the plant where it will not experience cold northern winds.
How cold can Crotons take?
Though crotons can withstand short periods as low as 40 or as hot as 100 degrees, they prefer, and do their best, where the temperatures remain between 65 and 95 degrees. That does not mean you can’t grow them in your garden here. You just have to be prepared and committed to taking special precautions.
Are croton plants easy to care for?
About. Crotons have some of the boldest and brightest foliage around. Often vividly marked with bright yellow, orange, and red, these exotic plants have a reputation for being high-maintenance due to their tropical nature, but once they acclimate to their new home, they’re quite low-care.
