Houseplant · Euphorbiaceae
Croton
Codiaeum variegatum
Give it bright light and steady, humid warmth, and the croton lights up a room with leaves in red, orange, and gold.
Bright indirect
50–85°F · 10–29°C
USDA 11–12
2–8 ft · 0.6–2.4 m
Overview
Croton earns its keep on leaves alone, splashed with red, orange, yellow, and green in patterns no two plants quite share. The houseplant sold under this name is Codiaeum variegatum, a woody evergreen from the spurge family that grows wild from Malesia into the southwest Pacific. Indoors it makes a bold, leathery-leaved shrub that can climb past head height with age.
What makes a croton vivid is light. Give it a bright spot with a little direct sun and the colors deepen; leave it in a dim corner and the new leaves drift back toward plain green. It likes warmth and humidity to match its tropical roots, and it dislikes being shuffled around, often dropping a flush of leaves when you move it or let a cold draft reach it.
This is not a hands-off plant, but it isn't fussy once settled. Keep it warm, water when the top of the soil dries, and keep the milky sap off your skin and away from pets, since every part of the plant is an irritant.
Care
The short version: bright light with some direct sun for the best color, warmth above 50°F (10°C), high humidity, and water only when the top half-inch to inch of soil dries.
Light
Croton runs on light, and the more it gets the brighter the leaves. Aim for bright indirect light with some direct sun, since a dim spot drains the color back to green. Too much harsh, all-day sun can scorch the leaves gray, so filtered or shifting sun is the sweet spot.
Water
Water when the top half-inch to one inch of soil dries, then water thoroughly and let the excess drain. Ease off in winter when growth slows. Croton sulks at both extremes and will shed leaves if the soil stays soggy or dries out hard for long.
Soil
Plant in a well-drained, humus-rich mix with plenty of organic matter. Good drainage matters most, since standing water at the roots is what triggers rot in a plant that otherwise likes to stay evenly moist.
Temperature
Keep it between 50°F and 85°F (10°C to 29°C), and never let it sit below 50°F. Cold drafts, chilly windows, and sudden temperature swings all push it to drop leaves, so a warm, steady spot suits it best.
Humidity
Croton wants high humidity to match its tropical home, and dry indoor air leaves the tips brown and crisp. Group it with other plants, set the pot on a pebble tray, or run a humidifier through the heating season.
Feeding
Feed with a general-purpose fertilizer through the growing season, spring into autumn, while the plant is actively putting out leaves. Cut back to a light hand in winter when growth all but stops.
Pruning
Croton takes a hard cut in early spring, before new growth starts, and that's the time to bring back a leggy plant. Cutting it back this way pushes fresh branching from lower down. Wear gloves, since pruning opens the irritant sap.
Repotting
Repot every 1 to 2 years, or sooner once it's rootbound, moving up to a slightly larger pot in spring. Roots circling out the drainage holes, water running straight through, and stalled growth all say it's time.
Size & spacing
Indoors a croton commonly reaches 2 to 8 feet (61 to 244 cm) tall and spreads 2 to 6 feet (61 to 183 cm) wide, though in the tropics it can push higher. Give it room so air moves around the foliage and the leaves don't crowd.
Troubleshooting
Most croton trouble shows up in the leaves, and the cause is usually light, water, humidity, or a sudden change it didn't like. Match what you see below to act before a small slip turns into bare stems.
Wilting with soft stems and sour-smelling soil
A plant that wilts while the soil stays wet has root rot from too much water or a pot that won't drain. The roots turn brown and mushy instead of firm and pale. Stop watering, repot into fresh, well-drained mix in a pot with drainage holes, trim away the rotted roots, and water again only once the top of the soil dries.
Fix:
- Stop watering and allow the soil to dry to the appropriate level
- Repot into fresh, well-drained, humus-rich mix in a pot with drainage, trimming rotted roots
- Resume watering only when the top half-inch to inch of soil dries
A sudden shed of leaves after a move or cold draft
Croton hates change, and a shock from a new spot, a cold draft, or a temperature swing is the usual trigger. Cold below 50°F (10°C) and soil that swings between soggy and bone dry do the same. Settle it in one warm, stable place, keep the watering even, and it grows the leaves back.
Fix:
- Settle the plant in one stable, warm, draft-free spot and avoid further moves
- Keep temperatures above 50°F / 10°C and away from cold windows, doors, and vents
- Maintain consistent moisture, watering only when the top half-inch to inch of soil dries
Fine webbing and a dusty, stippled look on the leaves
Hot, dry air invites spider mites, which leave fine webbing and a speckled, dusty cast on the undersides of the leaves. Rinse the foliage and raise the humidity to set them back, then treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil and repeat as directed. Keep the plant away from the others until it's clean.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and increase humidity
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeating as directed
- Isolate the plant to limit spread
Cottony tufts, brown bumps, and a sticky film
White cottony clumps in the leaf joints point to mealybugs, while immobile brown bumps along the stems are scale, and both leave a sticky honeydew behind. Dab the visible pests off with an alcohol-soaked swab, then treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil and keep at it. Set the plant apart from the rest until the bugs are gone.
Fix:
- Wipe off or dab visible pests with an alcohol-moistened swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeating as directed
- Isolate the plant until the infestation is cleared
Bright colors fading back to plain green
When a croton sits in too little light, the new leaves come in greener and duller and the wild color drains away. Move it somewhere bright, ideally with a little direct sun, and the variegation returns on fresh growth. Cultivars like 'Petra' hold their color better in interior light if a sunny window is hard to find.
Fix:
- Move to a brighter spot with bright indirect light, ideally with some direct sun
- For best color give the brightest light the plant can tolerate without scorching
Gray, washed-out leaves on the sunny side
Push a croton straight into harsh, all-day sun and the most exposed leaves turn gray, dull, or scorched. The fix is bright but filtered light, or sun that shifts across the day rather than beating down for hours. Step up the light slowly so the plant can adjust instead of burning.
Fix:
- Provide bright but filtered/indirect light or shifting sun rather than intense all-day direct sun
- Acclimate gradually when increasing light
Lower leaves yellowing and dropping off
Leaf loss low on the plant, in the shaded part, usually means the spot is simply too dim. Brighten the location and turn the plant so light reaches it more evenly. Pull off any fully spent leaves once they let go.
Fix:
- Increase light levels
- Remove fully spent leaves and reposition for more even light exposure
Brown, crispy tips and leaf edges
Dry indoor air is the culprit behind crisp brown tips, since croton craves high humidity. Soil that dries out too far between drinks makes it worse. Group plants, set the pot on a pebble tray or run a humidifier, and keep the soil evenly moist by watering once the top half-inch to inch dries.
Fix:
- Raise humidity with a pebble tray, grouping plants, or a humidifier
- Keep soil evenly moist (not wet), watering when the top half-inch to inch dries
Toxicity
Treat the croton with respect. The milky sap carries irritant diterpene esters that can inflame the mouth and gut of pets and bring on contact dermatitis in people, and no part of the plant is safe to eat. Wear gloves when you cut it, and keep the leaves and trimmings away from animals and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that chews a leaf usually drools and may vomit or get loose stools, and the milky sap can leave the mouth and skin irritated.
Dogs Mild
Expect drooling, an upset stomach, and sometimes diarrhea after a dog gnaws the plant. Sap on the muzzle or paws can redden the skin too.
Horses Caution
The same irritant sap can sting the mouth and gut, so keep a horse from grazing or mouthing the foliage and cut stems.
Rabbits Caution
A small grazer has no business nibbling this one. The diterpene esters in the sap can inflame the mouth and digestive tract, so keep it well out of reach.
Livestock Caution
Goats, sheep, and cattle should be kept away from the plant and any prunings, since the caustic sap irritates the mouth and stomach if eaten.
Birds Caution
A curious bird can be harmed by the irritant sap, so keep it clear of the foliage and any chewed or fallen leaves.
People Caution
No part of the croton is edible. The milky sap is a caustic skin and eye irritant that can bring on contact dermatitis, so wear gloves when you cut it and keep the leaves away from children.
Wear gloves when cutting or propagating; the milky sap can irritate skin and mucous membranes and may stain. Keep cut surfaces and fallen leaves away from pets and children
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Crotons come in a long list of named cultivars, sorted mostly by leaf shape and the mix of colors. These are the ones you're most likely to meet.
'Petra'
The most common cultivar, with dark green leaves veined in yellow, pink, and orange-red, and the one UF/IFAS singles out for holding its color well in indoor light.
'Gold Dust'
Carries rounded, oval bright green leaves flecked all over with golden yellow.
'Mammy'
Stands out for its narrow, twisting leaves in a bright jumble of colors.
'Eleanor Roosevelt'
Shows medium green leaves dotted with golden yellow that deepens to dark red.
'Andreanum'
Has broad oval yellow leaves edged and veined in gold.
'Spirale'
Twists its red and green leaves into a loose spiral.
'Majesticum'
Grows long leaves, around nine inches, banded in yellow and red.
How to propagate
Croton multiplies from cuttings or by air-layering, both of which keep a named cultivar true to its parent. Either way, wear gloves so the sap doesn't catch your skin.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Summer · Several weeks to root
Take softwood or tip cuttings in summer and root them in a moist medium, where they take several weeks to settle. Wear gloves, because the milky sap is an irritant. Cuttings keep a cultivar true to type, while seedlings come out looking nothing like the parent.
Air layeringModerate
Spring · Several weeks
Croton air-layers easily in spring, rooting on the stem over several weeks before you sever and pot it. Wear gloves here too, since the sap irritates skin.
Myths
The houseplant croton is a true member of the genus Croton.
Despite the name, the plant you buy is Codiaeum variegatum, not a species of the genus Croton. The two share the Euphorbiaceae family, but Kew's Plants of the World Online lists Codiaeum variegatum as the accepted name in its own genus. The common name is just a carryover.
A croton dropping lots of leaves is dying.
Heavy leaf drop is the plant reacting to change, not giving up. A move, a draft, cold below 50°F, or uneven watering can all set it off. Once you steady its conditions it usually recovers and grows the foliage back.
Crotons keep their bright colors in any light.
Color depends entirely on light. In a dim spot the leaves slide back toward plain green and lose their markings, and bright light, often with some direct sun, is what brings the color out. Too much harsh sun swings the other way and washes the leaves to gray.