Melinda Myers

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