Fabulous autumn colors of Codiaeum variegatum cultivars (Croton)

Posted by Jacqueline on May 16th, 2007 in Plants database

Codiaeum variegatum (Croton, Variegated/Garden Croton, Variegated Laurel)

Codiaeum variegatum is definitely a must for our tropical garden. We love autumn colors and Crotons easily satisfy our cravings as they splash their fabulous autumn colors year round.

We’ve been growing them in containers for decades. Slow-growing, easily maintained and its attractiveness are some of the plus factors that would influence any gardener to fall absolutely in love with these plants!

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

Botanical Name: Codiaeum variegatum
Common Name: Croton, Variegated Croton, Garden Croton, Variegated Laurel
Family name: Euphorbiaceae
Plant type: An evergreen shrub of medium height (1.5 – 3 meters), with ornamental foliage and originated from South India, Ceylon and Malaya
Light: Grows best in full sun to achieve best leaf color, but can tolerate semi-shade with dappled sunshine
Moisture: Requires regular watering with lots of water
Soil: It’s adaptable to a wide range of soils but must have good aeration and be well-drained! Not too excessive drainage though, otherwise it will wilt rapidly if too dry. Croton can be grown in containers or ground
Propagation: From seeds, air layering or stem cuttings, the latter method being the easiest. Just push a few 5-7 inch stem cuttings into moist soil or root them in water before planting. A word of caution – when propagating with stem cuttings, be sure to wear gloves as the milky sap that oozes from cut stems and leaves can cause skin irritation for some people.
Features: These are very popular tropical shrubs reaching 3 m with their impressive ornamental foliage of awesome colors and varying forms and pattern.

Their fabulous leaves can be broad or narrow/very narrow, spiral or smooth-textured or veined, large or small, recurved or otherwise, entire or deeply-lobed. etc. Wonderfully variegated, the leaves are splashed with colors ranging from green, yellow, chartreuse, red, burgundy, magenta, maroon, orange, etc. in various fantastic tones. There are probably a few hundreds of cultivars around the world!

In sharp contrast, the Croton yellow-colored and star-shaped flowers are tiny and inconspicuous in long racemes. They’re delicate and drop easily in a day or two, though very few mature into seeds resembling tiny berries in shade of purplish-black.
Usage: Very well-known for its colorful foliage, the croton bush will be most suitable as an accent in the patio, courtyard or garden. Whether grown in containers or in ground, it’ll present a remarkable sight when mass planted as hedges or borders. These strikingly attractive shrubs can be planted along highways and roadsides to beautify the scenery. Crotons attract butterflies, so plant them if you want these visitors to your garden!
Care: Quite easily maintained with minimal care in the tropics! All it need is enough sunshine, lots of water, occasional fertilizing and check/control mealy bugs, spider mites and scale that may infest it. Prune Croton heavily (about one-third of branches) when needed to prevent unsightly stems and promote bushiness as most of the foliage are at the top of plant. This will shape the plant uniformly, presenting multi-level branching and create a more beautiful and attractive specimen. For potted plant care, here’s a croton production guide that detailed its physiological, bacterial, fungal and insect problems with symptoms and control measures! A wonderful fact sheet to peruse! Another interesting read about questions on croton.
For temperate regions: Check this site for more plant info.
More links: The Croton Society and Croton Mania website.

Like bougainvilleas, an awesome lot of Codiaeum variegatum cultivars are found throughout our tropical country of Malaysia, which provides a conducive hot and wet environment for their luxuriant growth.

Currently, we grow 3 cultivars, namely the fabulously veined and beautifully colored ‘Ann Rutherford’ Croton (or is it ‘Puccini’ Croton, I wonder?), the lovely shaped ‘Arrowhead Croton’ in yellow and green, and the pretty narrow and slender leaves of ‘Picasso’s Paintbrush’ Croton in fantastic variegation of crimson red, green, yellow, etc.

Sharing images of Crotons grown in our garden and elsewhere. Click on images to view large. Enjoy!

Ann Rutherford’s Croton
Arrowhead Croton
‘Picasso’s Paintbrush’ Croton - very narrow and slender leaves in varied colors of green, yellow, orange, red, crimson to purplish red
The Rex Croton - long slender leaves slightly spiral, veined and mottled green and yellow, turning orange to red with age
Croton ‘Hadd-ra-wai’ - cultivar from Thailand, with slender and twisted leaves in fantastic psychedelic colors.
Croton ‘Gold Dust’ or ‘Aureo-maculatum’ - ovate leaves in bright green, and beautifully spotted or speckled with bright yellow to gold.