Overview

Croton plants – known for their variegated foliage of bright and bold greens, scarlets, oranges and yellow splotches – originate from the tropical forests of southeast Asia and Oceania. These upright plants can grow as large as 10 feet tall in the wild and are found in a variety of leaf shapes and colours. Long, twisted, thick, or a combination of all three – we’re confident you’ll find a Croton to fit your similarly long, twisted, thick and dark (okay, we added that last one) personality and style. They have a reputation for being fussy; in reality, they regularly drop leaves, but are otherwise low-key plants that are easy to maintain and grow.

Croton Family

Care Tips

     Care Level : Beginner, Expert or Somewhere in the middle.

Crotons need a moment to acclimatize to someone’s home, which is why they have a reputation for being fussy. The reality is that they’re good plant for beginners who aren’t scared of the first sign of leaf loss.

     Light

Crotons will thrive in bright, indirect light. Some may require less light – a good rule of thumb is if you have a Croton with more variegated colours then it’ll want more light. The more light it receives, the more colourful their new foliage will be. In lower-light conditions, Croton leaves will emerge more green.

     Water

Crotons aren’t as needy as some other houseplants – wait until their soil dries out before flushing it with water. They will drop leaves if underwatered, so keep an eye out. If their leaves start wilting, that’s a sign of overwatering.

 

     Humidity

Crotons are a tropical plant, so they’ll appreciate more humidity. You can achieve this by misting regularly, placing your plant on top of a pebble tray submerged in water, taking it with you to the shower or pairing it with a humidifier.

 

     Temperature

Crotons will thrive in 15-21°C temperatures. Avoid placing your Croton near cold drafts or near any direct sources of heat.

     Pets

Moderately toxic to pets and humans. Do not ingest unless mouth and stomach irritation sounds like a fun thing to witness and/or experience.

Croton Banana

Croton Mamey

Croton Petra

     Other fun facts:

• The seeds from Croton plants were used to make medicine for emptying and cleansing the stomach and intestines – like a laxative. Some experts believe this was counterintuitive and dangerous – especially for pregnant women. Maybe keep to the over-the-counter meds.
• Crotons make bad first impressions. Once you bring one home from the store, it’ll very likely shed leaves from the stress of acclimatizing to a new home. Give it a chance – they’re just shy introverts waiting to bust out.

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