Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Other Names:  Garden Croton, Variegated Laurel, Joseph's Coat

Description:

This woody perennial is largely considered as a houseplant in colder climates, noted for its striking foliage; glossy, leathery, ovate or lanceolate leaves in a bright range of colors, yellow, pink, orange, red, bronze, green, and purple

Features & Attributes

Variegated Croton features dainty racemes of white star-shaped flowers from late winter to early spring. Its attractive glossy pointy leaves emerge green, turning plum purple in color with showy red variegation and tinges of yellow throughout the year.

This is a dense herbaceous evergreen houseplant with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture is quite ornamental and should be used to full effect. This plant should not require much pruning, except when necessary to keep it looking its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Variegated Croton can be expected to grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. This houseplant will do well in a location that gets either direct or indirect sunlight, although it will usually require a more brightly-lit environment than what artificial indoor lighting alone can provide. It does best in average to evenly moist soil, but will not tolerate standing water. The surface of the soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely, and so you should expect to water this plant once and possibly even twice each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant. Be warned that parts of this plant are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so special care should be exercised if growing it around children and pets.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.

-- THIS IS A HOUSEPLANT AND IS NOT MEANT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER OUTDOORS IN OUR CLIMATE --