Croto - Codiaeum variegatum

Croto - Codiaeum variegatum

The croton (Codiaeum variegatum) appears to have it all: colorful foliage, nearly limitless leaf forms, and a cultish following. But these plants do have a drawback—they're difficult to please indoors. In their native habitats, crotons like humid, warm conditions, with dappled light and plentiful water. The problem indoors is typically temperature; too cold, and they start losing leaves. However, crotons are well worth the effort because a well-grown croton is an explosion of color. There are hundreds and hundreds of croton varieties, with names like Dreadlocks, Ann Rutherford, Mona Lisa, and Irene Kingsley. For a plant with this incredible diversity, it's amazing there is only species (C. variegatum). However, crotons are genetically unstable, so each plant is unique, and interesting varieties are highly prized by enthusiastic collectors. Crotons are often subdivided by their leaf type: curling, twisted, oak leaf, narrow, broad, oval, etc. A well-grown croton will keep its leaves all the way to the soil level—and the trick to this is to provide steady warmth. Even in outdoor settings, crotons will drop leaves after a cold night. However, these plants respond well to trimming. If a croton becomes leggy, prune it back hard at the beginning of the growing season, move it outside, and the plant will regrow from the cut portion. As a last note: vibrant leaf colors depend on the quality of light. Don't shy away from providing lots of bright, shifting sunlight.