On Mars, it is not a mainstay of the garden. The croton plant, also known as Codiaeum variegatum, is a perennial evergreen shrub that is indigenous to India and Malaysia despite having a name that sounds like it belongs in a space movie. Given that the croton seed has a shape similar to a tick, the name “croton” is derived from a Greek word for tick. The thick, leathery leaves on this tropical plant come in a variety of hues, sizes, and forms. The plant’s hue may become virtually black as it ages.
Are the croton plant and the rushfoil the same thing?
Rushfoil is a common name for a particular species of croton plant, the Croton michauxii, or Michaux’s croton. Throughout the genus, all of the several species are frequently referred to together by the term “croton.”
Are there different Croton plant varieties?
There are numerous types of croton plants. Red, orange, purple, pink, yellow, green, and white are just a few of the shapes and hues this plant may grow in. The following is a list of some of our favorites:
- Apple Croton
- Croton Bush on Fire
- Croton, Eleanor Roosevelt
- Gold Sun Croton or Gold Dust
- Wonderful Croton
- Mother Croton
- Iceton Croton, Mrs.
- Oakleaf Croton
- Ingrid Croton
- Bright Star Croton
- Croton of Yellow Iceton
- Croatian Croton
Is the croton plant poisonous?
Even though the croton plant is not the most deadly species, you shouldn’t take a chance and consume it. It can produce nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other similar symptoms when ingested in high amounts. The croton plant also releases a sap that can irritate skin and discolor clothing.
Can I have croton plants with cats?
Cats and humans can both be impacted by the croton plant in a similar way. Croton sap can be harmful to cats if consumed, however because the leaves are large and vibrantly colored, cats may find them to be quite attractive. In the event that you have both a cat and a croton plant, place the plant out of your cat’s reach. Take your cat or other pet to the vet if you suspect that they may have consumed croton plant because they are acting lethargic and vomiting.
Can I keep my croton plant indoors?
Croton plants can be grown indoors in containers, but they should be placed in a spot with a lot of sunlight exposure. The croton’s colors will dwindle without light. In the event of a dry indoor atmosphere, a humidifier might be beneficial for a croton. The plant can easily get dusty when kept inside. If this occurs, you can take the plant outside to spray it clean or wipe away any dust and bug droppings with a moist sponge.
What are the benefits of croton plants?
One species of croton, Croton tiglium, has a history of being used medicinally as a purgative. Croton plants are now largely employed for their ornamental qualities. An otherwise green environment is given a splash of color by the addition of a croton plant.
Why are croton plants popular?
Croton plants are well-liked due to their gorgeous colors. Many people believe that adding flowers is the only way to give a garden color other than green. However, that is untrue. Croton plants are a vibrant, non-flower choice that may be grown indoors or outdoors to provide color and brightness to a space.
How tall does a croton plant get?
Croton plants can reach a height of 10 feet, however there are dwarf types that are much smaller. The croton plant typically doesn’t grow taller than three feet. However, the huge leaves cluster together to produce volume, thus the plant is typically very full.
Do croton plants flower?
Croton plants can develop tiny, inconsequential flowers as they mature. Small bulbs that resemble holly berries in size and shape, the so-called blooms may also have extensions that shoot out like miniature fireworks.
A croton is what kind of a plant?
Here is a selection of our best croton plants for indoor growing. We’ve included some important maintenance advice for each as well as some fascinating information about their past, places of origin, and botanical traits:
Petra Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Petra’)
Oval green leaves with vivid yellow, red, and orange mottling are characteristic of the petra croton. It is indigenous to the South Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Zanzibar Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Zanzibar’)
Long, thin leaves that are a mix of green, yellow, red, and orange are characteristic of the Zanzibar croton. It often seems like ornamental grass due to its large leaves.
Lauren’s Rainbow Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Lauren’s Rainbow’)
The tiny leaves of Lauren’s rainbow croton are perched on tall stems. Usually, the base of the leaves are one color, and the centre is another color.
Gold Dust Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Gold Dust’)
The dark green leaves of the gold dust croton have a yellow paint-splattered appearance. The leaves will be more yellow in a brighter environment.
Banana Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Banana’)
The banana croton is a tiny plant that thrives in cramped areas. It has oblong, brilliant green leaves that have yellow flecks and patches on it.
Oakleaf Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Oakleaf’)
The oakleaf croton, as its popular name implies, has lobed leaves that mimic the leaves of some oaks. As the plant ages, the beautiful yellow patterns on the green leaves turn crimson. This plant is also known as croton wonderful.
Mother and Daughter Croton
Crotons, a mother and daughter plant, are named for their distinctive leaves. Oblong leaves provide the impression that a smaller leaf is affixed to a bigger leaf. Actually, it is really one leaf joined by a midrib.
Eleanor Roosevelt Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Eleanor Roosevelt)
The Eleanor Roosevelt croton, also called the messy painter croton, has oblong green leaves with yellow splotches.
Red Iceton Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Red Iceton’)
The pointed leaves of the red ice croton start off yellow and change over time to red and pink. The majority of plants will have red and yellow leaves together.
Croton’s Basic Needs
They typically grow in degraded slopes with a lot of loose, sandy, or rocky substrate in their natural habitat.
Since crotons are designed to sip runoff and are extremely vulnerable to leaf loss and root rot if the root ball is left in standing water for any length of time, this is by far the most crucial factor to take into account when planting a croton.
In order to prevent the plant’s early death, you should never plant a croton in clay or deep soil.
They are heavy feeders, thus rich, organically rich soil is optimal. To make up for any shortfalls, you may choose to apply mulch or a Croton fertilizer.
NOTE: Crotons prefer bright light or direct sunlight to bring forth the vivid hues in their varied leaf color. Too much shadow will result in indoor plants that have a lot of green foliage.
Commercial Potting Mixes
Always stay away from inexpensive commercial potting soil because it frequently contains few nutrients and could include a range of bug eggs.
A mix made for orchids, azaleas, or other similar plants may frequently be more richer in organic material than an all-purpose mix, however most decent-quality commercial mixtures will work.
Homemade Croton Potting Mix Recipes
To make sure the plant receives sufficient drainage, you can also want to add some perlite or coarse sand.
You can opt to mix organic material and aggregate with soil at a ratio of one part organic material to two parts soil, or you can experiment a little to find the combination that works best for you.
Always aim for a loose, organically rich mixture that won’t compact as the final product.
Additional Tips
Always use a container with drainage holes since crotons need sufficient drainage.
Select a location with great drainage for outside plants, such as soil with a gravel bottom or a sloped area.
In order to provide nutrients and prevent the soil from drying up too rapidly, it is also a good idea to add organic mulch.
A base layer of pebbles will aid in ensuring optimum drainage for potted plants.
What does the plant croton do?
The ubiquitous houseplant croton, Codiaeum variegatum, is planted for its eye-catching leaf. This genus, which belongs to the euphorbiaceae family, has six species of broadleaf evergreen perennials, shrubs, and small trees that are indigenous to tropical Asia and the western Pacific (not to be confused with Croton, another genus of more than 700 species in the same family, in which it was formerly incorrectly classified as Croton variegatum). Numerous varieties of this evergreen shrub or small tree have been created, each with distinctive leaf color and pattern variations. It is a perennial that is only hardy in zones 11 and 12. They are commonly employed as landscape shrubs for dramatic hedges, striking focal points in gardens, or potted specimens around buildings in subtropical and tropical regions.
Croton is a branching, bushy shrub that can reach a height of 10 feet in its natural habitat, however houseplants are often much smaller than the wild plant. The broad, leathery leaves range in length from 2 to 12 inches and are highly varied. The glossy, alternating leaves can range in shape from linear to oval, with a smooth or lobed margin that is occasionally severely cut to the midrib. Some of the leaves also have wavy or spiraling edges. The color of the leaf can vary from green to white, pink, orange, red, yellow, or purple in different combinations. As the leaves get older, the color may also alter. Any section of the leaf blade may have markings in the form of blotches or lines that follow the principal veins in predictable or haphazard patterns. It’s not unusual for sports, or shoots, to look quite different from the parent plant. Similar to the majority of Euphorbiaceae plants, those who are vulnerable to it may develop contact dermatitis from the milky sap that flows from damaged stems.
When cultivated inside, it rarely produces flowers. In April, while growing in the ground in regions without frost, it produces little flowers in protracted axillary racemes. The yellowish, petalless female flowers are produced on different inflorescences than the white male blooms, which have five tiny petals and 20–30 stamens that create the appearance of a starburst.
Female pollinated flowers are followed by fruits, which are tiny tripartite capsules with three tiny seeds, each measuring approximately a third of an inch in diameter.
Although it is frequently sold as an indoor plant, croton can also be utilized as a seasonal accent plant outside in pots or plantings of annuals or mixed ornamentals. Consider picking a pot color that complements the color of the leaves when growing in pots, whether indoors or outdoors. This color should either evoke one of the leaf colors or be in contrast to the main color. Consider mixing croton with other tropical annual plants, such as orange-flowering lantana, yellow golden shrimp plant, or red pentas, that have blooms that match the color(s) of the leaves. A croton cultivar with orange and red foliage might be contrasted with something with purple blooms, like an angelonia or mealycup sage.
Croton thrives on moist, fertile soil that is also well-drained. When cultivated inside, they require strong, directional light. They do best in light shade outside, but in cool climes they may survive full sun if kept wet (and are acclimated first when moved from inside). A plant that receives more light will have leaves that are more colorful and compact. Insufficient light may cause the vivid foliage to turn green, while excessive exposure to the sun causes the leaves to turn gray and lifeless. These plants should only be watered when the top half to inch of soil dries out because they have modest water needs. Winter irrigation should be minimized. If a plant is kept too wet or dry for an extended period of time, it will lose its leaves. It thrives in warm temperatures and moderate to high humidity because it is a tropical plant.
Croton thrives at temperatures between 60 and 85 °F; if temperatures fall below 50 °F, leaf loss frequently occurs. Keep them out of harsh temperature changes and drafts. Too abrupt of a change in environment can shock the plants and result in leaf drop. During the growing season, fertilize once or twice, or more frequently if you want your plants to expand more quickly. When the plant outgrows the container, repotted it in a pot that is only 1-2 inches bigger. If plants become lanky, they can be severely trimmed in the early spring before new growth starts to encourage branching and new growth. Except for the regular insects that commonly infest houseplants, Croton has minimal pest issues (mealybugs, spider mites, scales).
Container-grown plants can be relocated outside for the growing season as soon as the temperature is consistently above 50°F, gradually acclimating them to the various light conditions outside, and relocating them inside in the fall before the temperature drops below 50°F (colder temperatures can cause leaf loss). In the fall, plants that were sown in the ground as seasonal plants can be lifted and potted.
Taking softwood cuttings in the summer or air layering in the spring are also simple ways to multiply this plant. Asexual propagation is the only means to preserve particular cultivars since, while it can be developed from seed, the progeny won’t resemble the parent.
This common foliage plant has several hundred cultivars that have been chosen and bred to produce a wide variety of leaf shapes and colors, plant sizes, and increased tolerance of low light interior circumstances (although the names are frequently not disclosed when offered for sale), such as:
- The broad, oval leaves of ‘Andreanum’ are golden with gold veins and borders.
- Long, slender leaves of “Eleanor Roosevelt” are medium green with golden yellow markings that turn dark crimson with maturity. Similar but splashed with yellow, orange, and pink is “Franklin Roosevelt.”
The striking metallic blue-black leaves on “Evening Embers” are accentuated in red and green.