Complete Care Guide: Croton Petra
Complete Care Guide: Croton Petra
In this article, you'll find…
Plant Info
Care Guide
Lighting
Watering
Humidity
Soil Needs
Types
Propagating
Common Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Plant Info
The Croton Petra is the most common croton by far in cultivation, and is often just called the croton. Misleadingly, it's not actually part of the genus Croton -- it used to be, but got moved to a different genus to be more accurate scientifically... but the name stuck.
The leaves do the opposite of what happens in many plants; instead of coming in red and hardening off to green, they come in green, turn yellow around the edges and veins (and sometimes in splotches), then orange, and finally a rich red on mature leaves with enough light. The leaves -- which are otherwise green -- are large, leathery, and shiny, and all come from a whorl at the top of the stem.
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Common Name(s) |
Croton, Garden Croton, Variegated Croton, Fire Croton, Croton Petra |
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Botanical Name |
Codiaeum variegatum |
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Botanical Family |
Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family |
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Mature Size |
Large -- 10' tall! |
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Lighting |
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Watering |
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Humidity |
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Soil Mix |
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Flowers |
Long stems with flowers along their length (racemes); almost like pussy willow or snake plant flowers; not attractive., but a sign of a happy plant |
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Hardiness |
Tropical -- keep above 15C/60F |
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Native Region |
Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia |
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Toxicity |
Medium toxicity towards pets and people; contains sap that can cause contact dermatitis in some people. |
Take a look at this care guide as an infographic!
Care Guide
Crotons are actually shrubs (or even trees, depending on who you ask)! They can grow ten feet tall and make quite the statement in a bright room -- though, of course, houseplants will rarely reach quite that height, usually topping out at about six feet or so. If you want it to branch out, the easiest way is to prune it regularly; otherwise they'll often just grow as a single stem! (Don't forget to root the cuttings to get more free plants!)
A word of caution -- crotons have a milky sap in their branches that can be irritating to some people and cause contact dermatitis, and can cause problems if it gets ingested or into your eyes! It's always best to be careful and use leaves when doing any maintenance on your croton, and to keep them away from nibbly pets.
Crotons have a reputation for being finicky, prissy divas... and while it can be somewhat deserved, their care is a lot easier than most would make it out to be!
Lighting
Crotons need consistently bright light to truly thrive -- even direct sunlight is perfect, if you acclimate the plant slowly over time. Lower light will mean slow growth and dull colouration, as well as smaller leaves.
Make sure to check out our general article on lighting!
Watering
This is where everyone gets crotons wrong, and where they've gotten their bad reputation! Crotons need to be kept consistently moist -- do not let the substrate dry out. I've found that the best solution is frequent sips of water, rather than infrequent larger drinks.
If your croton dries out too much, it will immediately enact a stress response... by dropping leaves. Keep it moist, and the leaves stay on! (Well... hopefully. More on that towards the end.)
Make sure to check out our general article on watering!
Humidity
Crotons prefer to have higher-than-average humidity -- and, as a bonus, you'll need to water less to keep them moist. Ultimately, it helps their leaves stay nice and big, glossy, and entire! Humidity also keeps pests like spider mites away -- which can be a major concern for crotons!
Ultimately, though, if what you've got is average household humidity... what you've got is average household humidity, and your croton will adjust pretty well to it.
Make sure to check out our general article on humidity – including a couple common myths!
Soil Needs
Unlike a lot of houseplants, crotons are terrestrial shrubs (or trees -- there isn't really a clear distinction), so they don't need quite as doctored a soil mix as an epiphyte. Well-draining soil is never a bad thing, of course, since it prevents waterlogged soil near the root ball, but moisture retention is important as well! You don't need to add too much to the standard potting mix for crotons.
Suggestion: Start with 2 parts peat-based potting mix or coco coir, mix in 1 part perlite or vermiculite, and that's all that's truly needed!
Don't know why you're adding these things? Check out our article on potting mixes!
Types
There are over 100 varieties of crotons, including "Oakleaf", "Gold Dust", and "Pie Crust", among many, many others. They differ not only in leaf shape, but also growth habit, colouration, and even where on the leaves the colours are!
Propagating
Want more baby plants? You can easily propagate with stem cuttings, the exact same way as you do with most vining houseplants!
Simply cut off a section of stem with a few leaves, just above a node (where the leaves meet the stem), take off the lowest leaf or two (making sure to leave at least one leaf on it, but ideally a few), and then stick it in water or a moist substrate, making sure that at least one node stays moist. Put it in a bright spot for a few weeks, and you'll see roots forming!
NOTE: Remember to do this safely, due to the sap!
Check out our articles on water propagation, soil propagation, or air layering for more details on common propagation methods!
Common Issues
The most common issue people complain about is the croton dropping its leaves -- which is almost always due to one of two things: drying out too much... or spider mites.
All houseplants are susceptible to pests, including mealybugs, spider mites, and more. Crotons, however, are extremely susceptible to spider mites for whatever reason -- they almost seem to breed them like alocasias or calatheas, and what's worse, they'll drop leaves if the infestation gets out of control! Before it does, check out our article on spider mites and get control of the situation!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are crotons hard to find?
This entirely depends on the variety you're looking for -- croton petras are not hard to find at all, but certain varieties will definitely need to be found at specialty stores.
Aren't crotons just drama queens?
They definitely can be -- but only if their needs aren't met! Follow the instructions above, and you'll be perfectly happy with your little drama queen.