Codiaeum commonly called crotons belong to the Euphorbiaceae family and originated in Asia, mainly Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. There are approximately 750 different types of croton, and they have adapted well to warm, humid conditions in the Caribbean, Florida and Africa.
The attraction of crotons is obvious: they have highly ornamental and variegated leaves that come in a rainbow of colours ranging from red, yellow, orange and green − to black and gold.
They are sun-loving plants, and only with exposure to plenty of sunshine will they display their spectacular colours. A word of caution, though: some varieties might not withstand too many hours’ exposure to harsh direct sunlight.
They look great in any garden, either in a pot or planted directly in the earth, but if the latter, it must be in well-drained soil. The croton likes well-rotted pen manure or compost.
In some Caribbean islands, particularly Barbados, crotons are planted as a hedge.
These tropical shrubs looks best when kept bushy, so pinch the young centre leaves regularly to encourage bushing. They can reach a height of around six feet, but if when they grow tall the lower leaves start to drop, cut them down a bit.
Crotons can be grown from stem cuttings. Feed with Miracle Gro All Purpose or blue granules once per month, and try misting croton leaves once per week.
Until next week, happy gardening!
