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Croton: How to Grow and Care for Croton Plants | The Old Farmer's Almanac

Croton

Photo Credit
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Codiadeum variegatum
Plant Type
Houseplant
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Varies
Flower Color
White
Hardiness Zone
9
10
11
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How to Grow and Care for Croton Plants

The Editors
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The croton is an easy-to-grow houseplant known for its variegated foliage covered in green, scarlet, orange, and yellow splotches. Here’s how to care for a croton in your home or garden.

About Croton

Croton, also called “garden croton,” are native to the tropical forests of southeast Asia and Oceania. In the wild, they grow as large shrubs, reaching up to 10 feet tall (in the home or garden, they stay a lot smaller).

Note: All parts of this plant are poisonous—especially the seeds—so it is not recommended for use in homes with curious pets or children. When damaged, croton produce a milky sap that can be irritating to the skin, too.

Planting

Planting Croton

  • When choosing a container for your croton, keep in mind that the plant will grow upright, which eventually may cause it to become top heavy. Pick a container that won’t easily tip over when the croton gets larger. Or, plan to pot up to larger pots over time.
  • Use a well-draining potting mix. Croton like to be kept moist, but not wet.
  • In areas with warm, humid summers, croton can be grown outdoors as a unique and colorful landscape plant. They work well in tropical-themed containers or alongside annuals in the ground. When nighttime temperatures drop to around 50°F (10°C), croton will need to be taken indoors.
Growing

How to Care for Croton

  • Place croton in a sunny location such as an eastern, southern, or western window. If a croton is getting too little light, its newer leaves will be less colorful. 
  • 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.
  • Croton leaves are dust magnets. Gently wipe the leaves with a moist cloth twice a month to keep them clean and dust-free.
  • Fertilize the plant in spring and summer, while the plant is actively growing. In fall and winter, refrain from fertilize more sparingly or fertilizing altogether.
  • New croton plants can be started with 4- to 6-inch stem cuttings. Remove the bottom leaves and place the cutting in a glass of water. After roots have formed, plant in a small pot.
  • Repot the plant in the spring if it has grown too large for its current pot.
Croton 'Petra'. Photo by Karl Thomas Moore/Wikimedia Commons.
Croton ‘Petra’ (foreground). Photo by Karl Thomas Moore/Wikimedia Commons.
Recommended Varieties
  • ‘Petra’ is a popular cultivar. It has green leaves with red, orange, and yellow veins.
  • ‘Gold Star’ has green leaves that are splashed with bright gold “stars.”
  • ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’ has skinny leaves that range in color from burgundy to lime green. The leaves are mottled with bright yellow, as if they were spray painted.
  • ‘Oakleaf’ has oak leaf–shaped dark green or bronze leaves with veins in yellow, orange, and red.
Wit and Wisdom
  • Croton are members of the Euphorbiaceae family of plants, which makes them relatives of the poinsettia and the cast iron plant.
Pests/Diseases

Croton are usually pest and disease free, though they are susceptible to common houseplant pests such as mealybugs, spider mites, and scale insects.

Plants
Houseplants

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Comments

Kathleen (not verified)

2 months 1 week ago

I have my croton in a southern window and turn it regularly and water it when the leaves droop. It did well for about a year but now the bottom leaves are turning brown and dry. Should I remove the leaves? I love the plant and want to do all I can to help it thrive.

Hi Kathleen, yes go ahead a take those leaves off. In the winter months almost all the leaves fall off of both of mine. Then we set them outside water and fertilize and it amazing to watch the new leaves start to grow!

Carol (not verified)

2 months 3 weeks ago

My Petra croton variegated is about 5 years old possibly more. Short in pot.
Done very well where is settled. All of a sudden tiny flowers appeared close
To one of the leaves. Sticky sap slightly running off. Seems to possibly be a
New leaf beginning to grow very close to it. Is this a BAD thing? Very shocked
At the new happening. Thanks. Hope you can tell me what is happening.

Flowers aren’t bad! But, if you’d prefer the plant to focus on growing new leaves, you can pinch off the flower stalk. Overall: nothing to worry about!

April Huber (not verified)

3 months 3 weeks ago

If I'm not mistaken I received one of these from my uncles funeral, we left it in the car over night by accident and it dropped to like 20 degrees that night. I'm almost positive I threw it into shock because I Instantly took it from the freezing car into hotel room where it was warm. It hasn't been right since, all of the leaves have drooped and it looks almost dead. Is there anything I can do to save it