How to grow Croton

Codiaeum variegatum · Joseph's coat

Evergreen shrub grown for its leathery leaves splashed with yellow, orange, red and purple. It makes a striking houseplant but needs steady warmth and high humidity to look its best.

Croton — Photo: Louise Wolff -- darina 23:22, 6 May 2005 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Family	Euphorbiaceae
Light	Partial shade
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Soil for sowing	from 15 °C
Where it grows	At home

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 6 days	18…35 °C	balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 44 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 74 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 104 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 134 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 164 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 194 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 14 days	15…35 °C	—

Growing notes

Light

Bright light gives the best leaf colour; indoors give bright, indirect light. In too little light the leaves turn green or drop, while full summer sun through glass can overheat and scorch them.

Soil

Light, fast-draining, acidic (ericaceous) potting compost with some grit. Do not leave the pot standing in water.

Care

Water once the top 1–2 cm of compost is dry, ideally with rainwater at room temperature, since hard tap water makes the compost alkaline; water less in winter. Keep it warm all year, around 18–35 °C and never below 15 °C, away from cold draughts and sudden temperature changes, which make the leaves drop. Raise humidity with a tray of damp pebbles or regular misting. Feed monthly at half strength with an all-purpose liquid fertiliser in spring and summer. All parts are poisonous and the milky sap irritates skin and eyes, so wear gloves and keep it away from children and pets.

Pests and diseases of Croton

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.