Croton, unique leafage: planting and care

With its unique evergreen foliage, croton (Codiaeum variegatum) makes houses and apartments look lively, reaching 36 to 40 inches indoors. It is a tropical plant that wants warmth of around 70°F and a very well-lit spot out of direct sun — meet that one condition and the leaves only grow more striking.

Croton at a glance

Name	Codiaeum variegatum
Family	Euphorbiaceae
Type	indoor plant
Height	36 to 40 inches (0.8 to 1 meter) indoors
Exposure	very well-lit
Soil	soil mix
Foliage	evergreen

Care, repotting, watering and exposure, are items to focus your attention on  that will make your croton even nicer.

It makes our houses and apartments look lively with its elevated ornamental impact and unique foliage.

Planting and repotting croton

Upon purchasing, if the pot is too small, proceed to repotting so that the plant may grow adequately.

After that, every 2 or 3 years and preferably in spring, repot your croton in a pot of a slightly larger size.

• Croton roots hate having too much water.
  Double-check that the pot has a hole in the bottom.
  Increase drainage with a layer of gravel or clay pebbles along the bottom of the pot, to make water flow through more easily.
• Good soil mix is needed.
  The plant, when it lives indoors, needs soil mix because that is the only source for the nutrients it needs.

Pruning, and caring for croton

At the end of winter, if your croton has lost many leaves, feel free to cut it back even more.

That will stimulate the sending of new shoots and will rejuvenate your plant.

Cut croton stems bleed a milky white latex, so dab the wounds with a damp cloth and keep the sap off skin and furnishings.

Where to place the croton

The best place to set up your croton is near a window that lets a lot of light through, but isn’t in direct sunlight.

• It is vulnerable to excess sun that might dry the plant up.
• The more light a croton receives, the nicer its foliage.

Absolutely avoid setting it near heat sources such as radiators, because moisture is what this tropical plant most needs.

• Ideal temperatures hover around 70°F (20°C).

• Keep the room above 60°F (15°C), as colder air makes a croton drop its leaves.
• Cold or hot draughts from doorways, letterboxes and air conditioning can also stress many houseplants, so check a spot for moving air before settling the pot there.
• Turn the pot a quarter turn each time you water, so every side gets a similar share of light and the plant grows symmetrically instead of leaning toward the window.
• Many houseplants drop some leaves after a move, as they acclimate to new light and humidity; keep the spot and care consistent, and healthy plants often push out new growth within weeks.

Croton care

At the end of winter, if you croton plant has lots a lot of leaves, go ahead and cut the stem back by a third, or even half.

It’ll trigger new leaves: these will appear lower down and give your plant a fresh, new look.

Watering croton:

Regular but moderate watering is called for.

All year long and especially during summer, spray leaves to recreate the moisture levels of its natural habitat.

In spring and summer

Keep the soil mix moist and check that water drains properly.

Add green plant liquid fertilizer every 8 to 15 days during the growing phase.

• Spray the leaves on a regular basis with calcium-free water.

In fall and winter

Reduce watering and wait for the soil to be dry before watering again.

• Stop adding fertilizer.

Croton care through the year

What a croton needs changes with the seasons: generous during the growing phase, much more restrained once the days shorten. The table sums up watering, feeding and leaf care period by period.

Repotting also belongs to spring, every 2 or 3 years, into a pot of a slightly larger size.

Which croton to choose?

Crotons are sold under a handful of named cultivars that differ mainly in leaf shape and in the mix of colours the foliage takes on in good light. The table below sets out the ones most often found on garden centre and florist shelves.

Common diseases that infect croton

Most diseases targeting the plant are common indoor plant diseases, red spiders and scale insects.

• Fine webbing on leaf undersides often suggests spider mites, but it is not proof: other arthropods also spin webbing, and mites can be present without it, so confirm with a hand lens.
• Scale insects show up as small brown limpets along the stems and leaf veins, often with sticky honeydew beneath, and can be wiped off with a cloth dipped in soapy water.
• Sudden leaf drop on a croton usually points to a cold draught, a dried-out root ball or a recent move rather than to any disease.

Learn more about croton

A marvelous indoor plant, croton is toxic and poisonous and must be handled with gloves to avoid risking intoxication.

Read also:

• Did you know that indoor plants remove pollutants from the air?

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