Featured Plant of the Week (Croton)

Croton

When one thinks of foliage, colors like red, yellow, pink, white, purple and orange don't usually come to mind. However, that is the wonderful thing about croton: you get all the benefits of an evergreen plant with all the color of something that blooms. With enough varieties to overwhelm customers with choice, and an array of colors perfectly suited to the autumn setting, croton is an ideal fall item for your store.

In the wild, variegated croton can grow up to about nine feet tall, and its leaves range from just a couple inches to nearly a foot in length. The cultivars stocked by BloomRite® Gardens generally will only grow a couple feet, so there is no concern about the plant overwhelming the garden! However, the leaves can still grow quite large. The leaves are thick with a leathery texture, and as mentioned before come in a completely bewildering array of colors. On some varieties the variegation follows the veins on the leaves, creating a ribbed appearance. Others still have blotches of color mixed regardless of the veins.

It's impossible to cover all of the varieties of variegated croton, since there are hundreds of cultivars. At BloomRite® Gardens we try to carry several at any given time. The most recognizable of these is 'Petra', the plant pictured with this article. Another is 'Mammy', which has elongated and squiggly leaves. Then there is the outrageous 'Revolutions', with leaves shaped like curly-cues or pig's tails.

Despite these apparently huge differences in appearance, all of these cultivars are members of the same species. What's more, the name croton is a misnomer. Like many other famous house plants the common name comes from its physical similarities to another plant, but in truth they are only cousins. Variegated croton is actually called Codiaeum variegatum, which is not even the same genus as Croton. The two genres are both members of the Euphorbiaceae family, and so share some traits, but are quite different. For example Croton is 'pantropical', which in biological parlance means it can be found in the tropical regions of every continent. On the other hand Codiaeum variegatum is native only to India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Caring for variegated 'croton' is not very difficult if you intend to use it as a houseplant. It prefers temperatures over 55°F, so the average indoor temperature should be sufficient. Its potting medium should be kept moist, and drain well. You can allow the top surface of the soil to dry, but don't let it dry out completely. It can handle a range of light conditions from bright to medium indoor light, though take note the leaves will lose some of their stark color in dimmer conditions. High humidity is also recommended for optimal growth, but it should manage so long as the air is not exceptionally dry.

BloomRite® Gardens is currently carrying variegated croton in 3, 4, 6, and 8 inch grower's pots. We often stock 10 inch plants as well. The 3 and 4 inch plants are sold in flats of 28 and 15 respectively. For pricing and availability call us, or check the weekly availability list posted with each newsletter. We can order specific varieties if you have something special in mind.