When grown as a houseplant, croton rarely flowers. When growing in the ground in frost-free climates in spring it produces insignificant flowers in long axillary racemes. White male flowers with five small petals and 20-30 stamens that give a starburst-like effect are produced on separate inflorescences than the yellowish, petal-less female flowers.

Pollinated female flowers are followed by fruits which are a small capsule about a third of an inch in diameter containing three small seeds.

General Care of Croton

Croton does best in fertile, well-drained, moist soil. They need bright, indirect light when grown indoors. Outdoors they thrive in partial shade, and in cool climates can tolerate full sun if kept moist (and are acclimated first when moved from inside). Higher light levels produce more vibrant color in the leaves and a more compact habit. The leaves may revert to shades of green in insufficient light, while too much direct sun makes the leaves gray and dull looking. Croton has moderate water needs and should be watered only when the top half-inch to an inch of soil dries out. Reduce watering in the winter. Plants will drop leaves if they are too wet or too dry for extended periods. As a tropical plant, it does best with moderate to high humidity and warm temperatures.

Croton does best at temperatures between 60 and 85 ºF, often suffering leaf drop if temperatures remain below 50 ºF. Protect them from drafts and severe fluctuations in temperature. Changing environments too quickly can shock the plants and cause leaf drop. Fertilize once or twice during the growing season or more frequently for faster growth. Repot when the plant outgrows the container, moving up to a pot only 1 to 2 inches larger. Plants can be pruned hard in early spring before new growth begins to stimulate branching and new growth if they get leggy. Croton has few pest problems other than the usual insects that commonly infest houseplants (mealybug, spider mite, and scale insects).

Container-grown plants can be moved outdoors for the growing season once temperatures are consistently above 50 ºF, gradually acclimating them to the different light levels outside and moving them back inside in the fall before temperatures drop below 50 ºF (colder temperatures can cause leaf loss). Plants used as seasonal plants grown in the ground can be lifted and potted in the fall for overwintering indoors.

Propagating Croton

This plant is easily propagated by air layering in spring or by taking softwood cuttings in summer. Although it can be grown from seed, the offspring won’t resemble the parent, so vegetative propagation is the only way to maintain specific cultivars.

Croton Cultivars

There are several hundred cultivars of this popular foliage plant, selected and bred to offer a wide diversity of leaf shapes and colors, plant sizes and improved tolerance of low light interior conditions (although specific variety names are often not indicated when offered for sale), including:

• ‘Andreanum’ – broadly oval yellow leaves with gold veins and margins.
• ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’ – long, slender leaves of medium green dotted with golden yellow spots, changing with age to dark red. ‘Franklin Roosevelt’ is similar, but leaves are splashed with yellow, orange and pink.
• ‘Evening Embers’ has unusual metallic blue-black leaves highlighted in red and green.
• ‘Gold Dust’ – bright green rounded oval leaves spotted with golden-yellow.
• ‘Gold Star’ – similar to ‘Gold Dust’ with yellow spots splashed across the bright green leaves, but with much narrower leaves.
• ‘Magnificent’ – green and yellow variegated oval-pointed leaves spattered in brilliant shades of red, orange, pink and sometimes bronze or purple.
• ‘Majesticum’ – pendulous branches and linear leaves with yellow midrib veins that mature from deep green to red.
• ‘Mammy’ (or ‘Mammie’) – elongated, twisted, multi-colored leaves tending towards greens and purples with bits of red.
• ‘Oakleaf’ – multicolored leaves with indentations resembling those of an oak leaf in greens to bronzes with red, orange, or yellow veining.
• ‘Petra’ -one of the most common varieties available with variously colored bold yellow, pink and orange to red markings along the veins of the dark green pointed-oval leaves that creates an almost lacy appearance when viewed from a distance.
• ‘Mrs. Iceton’ or ‘Red Iceton’ – pointed-tipped oval leaves that start out a bright, warm yellow and change into pink and red as they age.
• ‘Spirale’ – narrow red and green leaves that twist in spirals.
• ‘Thai String’ – multicolored, with very narrow leaves.
• ‘Zanzibar’ – long, slender, grassy-looking leaves in shades of purple, red, orange, and gold.

– Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Last Update: Bruce Spangenberg, UW-Madison Extension 2025