Pictures of Crotons ~ Bright Dazzling Colored Plants for Garden Landscaping
84There are many varieties of croton and they are primarily added to the garden landscape or included indoors as potted plants because of their bright and dazzling leaf colors.
Crotons can be used as an accent plant in a garden design or can be massed for maximum impact if desired.
I have used them both ways in our Houston, Texas garden.
For several years I had a beautiful specimen plant that could be viewed out of our everyday dining area and when frost or freeze warnings were given in the winter, my husband and I would cover our more tender vegetation with some old bed sheets which generally saved them and kept the plants alive from year to year.
Last year was a great exception in terms of the weather. Not only did we have prolonged days of freezing weather but it actually snowed a couple of times in Houston and the surrounding area! It was most unusual weather and we lost that specimen plant and a few others that I had planted in other areas of the garden.
Crotons (close-up photo)
Gold Dust Crotons
Tropical plant
The croton plant is very tropical in nature and is native to either Malaysia, Bolivia or Ecuador depending upon different sources writing about their origin.
For that reason, most people are probably more familiar with viewing these show stopping colorful leafed plants in indoor settings as opposed to outdoors unless one lives in a tropical climate.
In commercial settings like hotels and other venues that utilize live plants for decor, crotons brighten up the areas with a rainbow of colors.
Speaking of brightness, that is one requirement for successfully growing crotons in an indoor setting. They do need bright lighting to maintain their vibrant coloration of their leaves. It can be natural light or even artificial lighting as is often the case in business establishments.
If grown in lighting conditions with not enough light, the colors gradually fade thereby losing their main attractive feature. So while they do not talk to one in a literal sense, crotons will let you know their needs in a demonstrative manner!
Colorful Croton
 | Amazon Price: $9.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $1.39 List Price: $2.59 |
 | Amazon Price: $9.99 |
| Amazon Price: $9.99 |
Crotons on our backyard patio in pots
Crotons grown in clay pots
Croton
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Growing conditions
Ideal growing conditions for crotons in addition to the direct sunlight or at least very bright lighting conditions include the right amount of water and humidity.
In Houston, Texas we generally have enough humidity outdoors to suit any humidity loving plant. Our air-conditioners hum off and on most of the year trying to wring some of that water laden air out of our homes and offices.
Thus, if growing crotons outside, worrying about humidity is one thing that we Houstonians can cross off of our "to-do" list. For others a light misting of water onto the croton leaves will keep these plants happy if growing them in drier locations.
Crotons appreciate moist soil so again depending upon weather conditions and heat, water accordingly.
If it is in the middle of the summer and temperatures in Houston could enable one to literally fry an egg on a side-walk, we water our potted croton plants every day. Other times of the year, once or twice a week is sufficient to keep the soil moist.
A light fertilizing several times a year will help nourish crotons.
The potting soil that I choose to use has some fertilizer in it that helps feed any new plants for a number of months. In addition it helps the plants from being under or over-watered.
They are coming out with some great potting soils these days that can be acquired at nurseries.
If one is investing in new plants, one may as well spend a little extra and get a good potting soil to get them off to a great start!
Underside of croton leaf
Siam Ear Ring
Other characteristics of crotons
The undersides of the croton leaves are amazing to see as well as the top sides as the photos shown above indicate. The veins in the leaves create intricate patterns and multiple colors would hit just about every color spectrum depending upon which species one is viewing.
Speaking of species...there are 750 of them!
Crotons come from a family called Euphorbiaceae.
While the leaves, fruits and sap of the croton can be dangerous or even poisonous, it has also been studied academically and many uses have been found in addition to simply embellishing a landscape.
Crotons have been used medicinally as a tonic and even show some antibacterial effects. They have also been used in varnishes, waxes and oils. Some tobaccos have been scented with parts of the croton!
With so many species and more being discovered all the time, research on crotons continues.
Use normal precautions if utilizing these beautiful plants around pets or children and enjoy crotons for their bright and dazzling colors if using them in your home or garden landscape.
Do you like to use crotons in your home or garden?
See results without votingPotted crotons in our backyard landscape
Croton Varieties
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CommentsLoading...
I've seen these plants before but did not know they were called crotons. You mentioned they had medicinal uses and yet you caution against using these plants around pets and children. Are they dangerous to pets and kids? Voting this Up and Useful.
Hi Michelle,
Glad that looking at these crotons gave you a break from doing your paperwork. Thanks for leaving a comment. :)
After poring over paperwork, it is refreshing to visit your hub and savor the photos of crotons in the garden. It's so lovely. Thanks Peggy for sharing your photos. :)
Hello Peyton,
You are correct in that Codiaeum variegatum comes from a different place. According to Wikipedia it is "native to southern India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands" so the common name of croton, as you suggested, becomes confused between genus and species. Here is the Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codiaeum_variegatum
No matter where they come from or what species or genus, crotons are beautiful plants. Thanks for your comments.
P.S.
A great croton forum:
http://www.palmpedia.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?26
And a croton wiki with great photos...
Hi Peggy,
Some helpful corrections...
The common name croton refers to just one accepted species (Codiaeum variegatum) with hundreds of named cultivars. Codiaeum is considered to have originated from the Malay Peninsula area and neighboring Oceania, definitely not from Bolivia or Ecuador...
The genus Croton has about 750 species, many that are small weed-like plants (some probably growing wild in southeast Texas) from which various oils, medicinals, and scents are derived. True Crotons have nothing to do with Codiaeum and vice versa, other than that Codiaeum was originally mis-classified as a Croton and hence the enduring confusion of names...
Hope this helps!
Hello may018,
Nice that you also enjoy crotons in your garden. They are beautiful plants in landscapes or even if kept in pots. Thanks for your comment.
Hi peggy,this awesome,crotons are truly vibrant.Actually we have planted many of that here in our garden.
Hi Billy,
Real cold weather will be many months from now, but hopefully we will get some rain from that tropical storm in the Gulf named Don. Our trees, potted crotons, grass and other plantings would surely love some rainwater for a change. Let's cross our fingers!
Yes pots are useful in this heat replanting may be a tad traumatic. When is that cold change coming through????
Hi Billy,
Since we are having so many abnormally high temperatures this summer, I did move my potted crotons off of the patio and back into the garden beds to the rear of the yard. We can still enjoy seeing them from the house and so far they are getting enough dappled sunshine to keep their bright colors. That is one advantage to keeping the crotons in pots!
Crotons don't do too badly in the heat as the past week can testify!
Hi KoffeeKlatch Gals,
I agree with you that crotons brighten up a yard or garden. Ours are now back out on our patio and certainly add color. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Peggy, I love crotons, they are so bright and cheerful. We have them prominately displayed in our yard. Great information and as always, love the pictures.
Hello sofs,
Crotons, as you say, are pretty hardy but we who live here in Houston will be experiencing a hard freeze tonight. So we have moved our crotons into our garage to protect them. Will be covering many of the other more tropical plants outside with old sheets tonight. These predicted temperatures will be the coldest of the season! It is Feb. 1 today and generally by the end of the month we no longer typically have freezing weather.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed these pictures. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Peggy, one more beautiful hub, I love crotons, they are so easy to grow and pretty hardy. We have a huge variety of them here and they brighten up your day. I love your pictures. Thank you sharing them Peggy.
Hi Tony,
We also love the bright leaf colors of crotons. This time of year by having them in pots, we just move them into our garage when the weather dips down close to freezing and then move them back out when it warms up. This time of year we watch the weather closely. It is generally only a few months of the year that we need to protect them like this.
I'm impressed that you grew them from seed. Do they grow fairly rapidly from seed?
Thanks for the comment.
I love crotons though I don't have any right now. I used to grow them from seed and have them in pots in my office. This is a good reminder to sow them again!
Thanks
Love and peace
Tony
Hi Micky,
Thanks for commenting on these pictures of crotons whether they are in the garden landscape or elsewhere. You are too kind, dear Sir! :-)
Peggy I do love coming to your hubs. Thank you for being you! God bless you Dear!
Hi Billy,
Crotons do seem to be almost a perfect plant for Houston garden landscapes since most of the year our climate is so tropical in nature. Thanks for leaving a comment.
We have a few crotons and they are perfect for humid climates like Houston - lots of color and easy to propogate. So much information on crotons here Peggy!
Hi Cheryl,
Until I did the research for this hub, like you, I had no idea that there were so many different kinds of crotons. They certainly are colorful. Thanks for the comment!
I agree the crotons are very impressive and attractive plants. They are beautifully displayed in your lovely garden. Thanks for sharing the different species. I did not know there were so many. Very informative hub and beautiful crotons.
Hello lyjo,
Enjoy your indoor crotons! They add color whether indoors or out. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Appreciate it!
Hi agusfanani,
So crotons are called puring in your part of the world. Always nice learning new things here. As to those in our garden, I purchased them at 70% off (this time of year the nurseries have massive sales) and purposely planted them in pots. If or when we have freezes this winter, we'll just carry the crotons into the garage and not risk losing them like we did last year of the ones planted in the ground. Of course last year was unusually cold. Thanks for the comment.
What a great hub, uplifting, interesting, and informative, had no idea they were called crotons, I have another species, quite similar looking...but unfortunately, we have to keep all plants in doors as we live in a very cold climate for the winter months...I would love to have them outdoors. Thanks so much, really enjoyed this one, take good care.
Peggy W, you're right crotons also grow well in my country (we call them Puring) and they have special places for collectors so that their prices can be unreasonably high.
I like those at your backyard patio, they even make your house look more beautiful.
Hi Dolores M,
When we were first married we also lived in an apartment and had LOADS of plants...no crotons, however. My husband used to kid me that he needed a machete to get through the place. Haha! Now most of our plants are all outside.
Peggy, I used to be a big houseplant nut, when I lived in an apartment and had several beautiful crotons. I loved the bright colors and those tough leaves.
Hello HH,
Crotons really do brighten up a landscape whether indoors or out. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. The next time you see one, you will know more about it! :-)
They are beautiful and up till now I never really paid much attention to it. Thank you for all your tips.
Hi suziecat7,
Now you know the name of these bright and colorful plants called crotons. Glad that you found this informative. Thanks for the 1st comment.
I never knew they were called crotons. Well done and Informative Hub - thanks.
Peggy W Hub Author 5 weeks ago
Hello alocsin,
In doing the research for this hub regarding crotons, I discovered that apparently the sap contains some toxins and just like poinsettias, oleanders and other plants, pets and children should not be munching on them. I don't see this as much of a problem. Our pets have certainly never been seen chewing on these plants. I just mentioned it because the literature that also mentioned the medicinal things being studied might be of some interest to people who may wish to take precautions. Thanks for your comment and votes.