Care Tips for Growing Croton Plants Indoors

Botanical Name: Codiaeum variegatum pictum

Fall Croton Plant

Croton plants stiff, leathery leaves in bold colors of yellow, pink, red, orange and green make it a beautiful and popular house plant. Another common name for croton plant is Joseph's Coat.

Crotons are not easy to please. The keys to success are plenty of sunshine, a warm, draft-free environment, moist soil, and humid air. Dry air and soil will cause croton leaves to fall off.

Too tall? Top them. The plants are naturally bushy, so they shouldn't need pruning. If they get too big, you can cut them back in spring and propagate the stem cuttings.

Give them space. If you bought a container that has 2 or 3 plants in it (which is fairly common), keep them together for the first year. The next year, give them the space they need by separating them. Separate the plants by carefully cutting through their roots with a serrated knife, then pot them in their own containers.

Are croton plants poisonous? Oh, yes. A member of the Euphorbia family, this plant has poisonous sap. Don't be afraid of crotons, but take some precautions. Keep croton away from children and pets and wear gloves while handling it.

Origin: Pacific Islands, Malaysia, Northern Australia

Height: To 3 ft (90 cm)

Light: Bright light and at least 3 hours of direct sun each day.

Water: Keep soil mix evenly moist with tepid water.

Humidity: High humidity. Mist daily if possible. Stand the plant on a tray of wet pebbles.

Temperature: Warm 65-85°F, 18-29°C

Soil: Peat moss based potting mix.

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks from early spring through summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation: Take stem cuttings in spring and dip in rooting hormone before inserting in a half-half mix of sand and peat moss. Croton cuttings root in about a month.