Croton Plant- Leaves to Brighten a Room

The Croton Plant is becoming a very popular indoor house plant for its brightly colored yellow, pink, red, green and orange leaves. The most common variety grown is codiaeum.

The croton is a fussy house plant that needs a lot of attention. When crotons were first moved indoor as a potted house plant, leaf drop was a big problem. Hybrids have since been developed that reduce this problem somewhat. Now the most common hybrid grown is Croton Petra.

The Croton is an upright bush that grows from 2 ft to 6 ft tall. Its leathery broad leaves grow from a central stalk. Cutting back the stem to a joining leaf will keep them bushy.

Cadiaeum should be placed near an east or west window where they can get some direct sunlight in the morning or evening when the sun is not as hot. They need bright light to remain healthy andproduce the colorful display of leaves.  Unlike the leaves, the flowers are small and not very attractive.

Croton house plants require an area where the temperatures do not vary much. Temperatures should not exceed 80oF or drop below 60oF. Cadiaeum must be kept out of cold drafts.

Crotons like higher humidity levels. If the edges of leaves turn brown, that is a sign that the humidity is too low.

Croton plants should be planted in loamy soil with good aeration. The soil needs to be kept moist without over watering.

Fertilize your croton monthly with balanced fertilizer at 1/2 strength during the growing season from early spring to fall. It should not be fertilized through the winter months.

Codiaeum plants can be propagated by green stem cuttings, leaf cuttings or air layering. In tropical climates, people would just cut off a piece of a stalk and stick it in the ground and it grew.

Crotons are susceptible to spider mite infestations, so watch and act at the first sign. Isolate the infested plant from other healthy plants. Wash the leaves, top and bottom and use neem oil or insecticidal soap. Grouping infested plants together will help keep the humidity higher.

Crotons are also toxic to some animals, so care must be taken around your pets. The sap of the croton is also known to cause burning in the mouth and irritate the skin. The plant tastes terrible, so children are not likely to chew on it very long or swallow pieces of your croton house plant.