The Croton is a striking, easy-to-grow tropical plant that boasts personality and begs for attention. Native to India and Malaysia they’re recognized by their boldly colourful foliage. They make a great “filler” in planters (fall planters especially!) and garden beds and are the perfect pop of colour to energize any space! Croton foliage comes in a wide variety of colour combinations that includes purple, green, yellow, red, orange and pink. The Croton is often called the world’s most colourful shrub - and we can see why!
Croton's grow best when placed in the high light, the more sunlight the better as it assists in producing vibrant, colourful leaves. If you start to notice that your plant gets tall but isn’t producing the beautiful leaves it used to, it is likely because it isn’t receiving enough sunlight - try to relocate your plant to a sunnier location.
Water crotons only when the top of the soil is dry to the touch. If you notice leaves have begun to drop it means your plant is staying too wet or too dry for too long. Be sure to keep the plant at a medium moisture level. When it comes to humidity, Crotons don’t mind it one bit – so a sunny spot in your kitchen, bathroom or near a humidifier would be ideal!
Crotons can be found in a variety of leaf shapes and colours. Colours range from green, variegated, yellow, red, orange, cream, pink and black to a combination of all. Crotons are a great way to add a tropical touch to any space!
Care & Maintenance of Croton plants:
- Light: Require 6 – 8 hours of direct sunlight a day to produce gorgeous yellow, red, and purple foliage. Best to position in an east/west window to ensure that it gets enough sunlight. If the plant is lacking the light it requires, the leaves will turn green.
- Water: frequently during the growing season. Keep soil constantly moist, so when the top begins to feel dry, the plant must be watered again. Mist plant to increase humidity. During the winter months, the watering requirements will decrease, so be careful not to overwater your plants.
- Fertilizer: Once a month during the growing season, once every other month in dormant winter months. The fertilizer should be high in nitrogen and potassium.
