Croton
- Botanical Name
- Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum
- Hardiness
- Zones 11 to 12
- Height
- 3 to 6 feet
- Width
- 2 to 5 feet
- Flowers
- White
- Light
- Full sun (leaf loss with too much shade)
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained
- Planting & Care
- Needs high humidity, place pot atop pebbles in a shallow pan of water
- Keep soil moist but not wet
- Does best in temperatures between 60 and 85°F
- Pretect from drafts and temperature fluctuations
- Only fertilize actively growing plants with a dilute solution of houseplant fertilizer
- Propagate by cuttings and air layering
- Problems
- Scale, spider mites, mealybugs, thrips
- Varieties
- Mammy - long twisted, contorted leaves sport hues of greens, purples and reds
- Gold Dust - narrow green leaves heavily speckled in golden yellow
- Elenor Roosevelt - long, narrow green leaves blushed with purple and spotted with golden yellow
- Andrew - long, narrow green leaves streaked with creamy white
- Spirale - narrow green and red leaves that twist in a spiral
- Zanzibar - resembles ornamental grass; narrow, arching leaves in shades of orange, purple, red and gold
- Red Iceton - pointed oval leaves emerge yellow and mature to red and pink tones
- Petra - commonly grown variety with wide pointed green leaves that are veined and margined in yellow, red and orange
- Oakleaf - lobed, dark green leaves are marked with yellow, orange and red veins
- Mother and Daughter - very unusual long, narrow leaves appear to hold another smaller leaf on a string off the tip
- Lauren's Rainbow - colorful, long, narrow, slightly twisted foliage
- Florida Select - medium pointed green leaves veined in orange, red and yellow
- Bush on Fire - long leaves spotted in shades of purple, gold, orange and red
- Banana - more compact variety with lance-shaped green leaves with yellow veins and margins
- Evening Embers - metallic blue-black leaves with red and green highlights
- Thai String - very narrow, multicolored foliage
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