Croton ∗ The 10 best planting and care tips (miracle shrub)

Characteristics

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum
Family: Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)
Synonyms: Croton, miracle shrub
Origin: Southeast Asia
Growth type: shrub
Growth height: 100 cm to 300 cm
Leaves: Evergreen, many forms
Leaf color: variegated
Flower: white, inconspicuous
Toxicity: toxic
Hardiness: not hardy
Use: houseplant, summer balcony

growth height

one croton in the garden center you can't see the growth potential it has. The popular ornamental leaf plant comes on the market with a modest 30 to 40 centimeters. Over time, growth takes on space-consuming dimensions with a taut, upright growth height of 150 to 200 centimeters. In its tropical home regions and under the ideal conditions of a botanical garden, a miracle shrub stretches up to 300 centimeters in height.

Sheet

The most beautiful decoration of a croton plant are ornamental leaves with artistic leaf drawings in blazing colors. The following list gives an insight into the multi-faceted sheet properties:

leaf outline: petiole and leaf blade.
leaf shapes: narrowly lanceolate to sword-shaped, roundish-oval to ovate, entire to lobed or deeply incised.
orders of magnitude: 5 cm to 30 cm long, 0.5 cm to 8 cm wide.
leaf drawings: distinctively veined, distinctively spotted and spotted or artistically marbled.
leaf colors: green-yellow, orange, red or purple-pink in a variety of color compositions.
texture: smooth, thin-leathery

Admire a representative example of the beautifully formed and picturesquely colored ornamental leaves of a Croton plant in the video below:

Croton - The miracle shrub with a tree look for the living room

toxicity

Codiaeum variegatum is a poisonous beauty because all parts of the plant are permeated with a colourless, toxic milky sap. Even simple skin contact can cause annoying to painful swelling and inflammation. Intentional or unintentional consumption is punished with nausea, vomiting and other tormenting symptoms of poisoning. The miracle shrub is not recommended for the family household or as a roommate for pets.

hardiness

The central habitats of the croton plant extend over Malaysia, the Philippines and the Sunda archipelago in Indonesia. There is a warm, humid rainforest climate all year round with an annual average temperature of around 20° Celsius. In the tropical belt of our planet, the miracle shrub is a familiar sight in parks and gardens. Because it is too cold for a croton outside from 15° Celsius, the rainforest beauty is used as a houseplant in our latitudes.

plant croton

Most indoor gardeners buy their first croton wonderbush in the garden center. A mother plant is sufficient for the propagation of further specimens that spread a cozy jungle feeling in living rooms, conservatories and offices. The following sections explain in a compact and comprehensible manner how to successfully propagate and plant a croton plant correctly:

multiply

Vegetative propagation guarantees that the magnificent characteristics of the mother plant are passed on to the offspring. The easiest way to propagate a croton is through head cuttings. How to do it right:

The best time is in the spring from January to March.
Put on gloves to protect yourself from the poisonous milky juice.
With disinfected scissors, 10 cm to 15 cm long head cuttings to cut.
Bleed cuttings in a bowl of lukewarm water.
Mixture of coconut soil and sand in seed pots(€7.00 at Amazon*) to fill.
Plant a head cutting in each pot, water and spray with low-lime water.
Root the cuttings in the heatable propagation box at 25° to 30° Celsius.

The first roots sprout after six weeks in a bright, humid location. After five to six months, a young croton will have completely rooted its seed pot. Now you can repot your little one and care for it like an adult wonder shrub.

Plant in the bucket

Plant a croton in compost-based, peat-reduced potting soil. Use a bucket with holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain. With the right pot size, two to three fingers fit between the ball of earth and the wall of the pot. To protect against waterlogging, cover the bottom of the pot with shards of pottery expanded clay or grit.(€14.00 at Amazon*) Ideally, place an air- and water-permeable fleece over the drainage before you fill in the substrate.

Two criteria determine the correct planting depth: There is a distance of 3 cm to 5 cm between the edge of the pot and the root disk as a watering edge. The previous planting depth in the nursery pot or purchase container remains largely unchanged. Water the freshly planted miracle shrub thoroughly. Pour away any water that has accumulated in the saucer after 10 minutes.

Location

Proper location is crucial for the beautifully formed croton leaves to show off their glowing fall colors. The following overview informs you about all the important framework conditions for a wonder shrub worth seeing:

light: bright to sunny all year round with shade from the blazing midday sun in summer.
temperature: at least 15° Celsius in all seasons.
humidity: ideally at rainforest level, but at least 60%.
Exclusion Criteria: Draft, shade, rising cold from the floor (stone floor).

digression

Decorative air freshener for living and working spaces

With its pretty foliage, a croton makes a valuable contribution to refreshing, healthy indoor air. The magnificent leaves tirelessly filter pollutants from the air. During the day, enzymes located there immediately break down the harmful gases. At night, pollutants such as cigarette smoke, formaldehyde, carbon dioxide and benzene are transported into the roots. There, busy microorganisms accept the environmental toxins as a welcome source of food, which they break down and render harmless.

care for croton

The miracle shrub is a grateful and easy-care houseplant. Apart from slight modifications, maintenance can continue as usual throughout the year. How to properly care for a croton:

watering and humidity

The mainstay of the care program is continuous moisture in the soil and in the air. Water the croton plant plentifully and regularly without waterlogging. It is best to determine the watering requirement with your index finger. Stick your finger into the substrate. If you don't feel any moisture from a depth of 2 centimeters, the miracle shrub wants to be watered. In the winter months, water more sparingly than in spring and summer. Please use room-warm water for irrigation rainwater or stagnant tap water.

Catapult the local humidity to rainforest levels by spraying the leaves two to three times a week. Fill the coaster with expanded clay(€19.00 at Amazon*) and water. Every six months, treat your miracle shrub to a nourishing water shower. Before doing so, cover the pot substrate with foil. The shower is also an effective prevention against spider mites, aphids and other annoying pests.

Fertilize

During the growth phase, apply a liquid fertilizer for green plants every 14 days. In autumn and winter, a croton stops growing and does not need any supplementary nutrient supply.

To cut

Regular cutting care is not necessary. A croton without a shape or maintenance cut develops its taut, upright silhouette. Occasionally, the miracle shrub gradually pulls in one of its beautifully colored leaves. Give this morbid fading free rein as valuable nutrients are shifted from the leaf to the roots. When the affected leaf has completely died off, cut off the dried plant parts at the petiole.

repot

Growth will keep going if you repot a croton every two years. The best time is in the spring, just before fresh sprouting begins. Use a tub that is 20 to 30 percent larger than the previous pot. More space capacity for the roots accelerates the growth rate. Furthermore, an expanded substrate volume can absorb more water, so that waterlogging does not form so quickly.

solve problems

If a croton weakens, location problems, care errors or pests are the cause. The following table provides information on typical damage patterns and gives tips for effective countermeasures:

damage picture	cause	countermeasure	How exactly?
Croton loses leaves	waterlogging	repot	remove wet soil, plant in dry substrate, do not water for a week
colors fade	lack of light	relocation	set up sunny with protection from the midday sun
Croton leaves hanging	drought stress	water more abundantly, spray regularly	Keep the soil slightly moist, spray twice a week
Webs, speckles, curled leaves	spider mites	shower, spray	shower with lukewarm water, spray daily
Miracle shrub no longer grows	Growth depression, lack of space	repot	transfer to a 20% larger bucket

Popular Varieties

The following selection introduces you to beautiful croton varieties with colorful ornamental leaves for an exotic jungle feeling in living spaces:

Codiaeum variegatum 'Petra': majestic miracle shrub, ornamental, variegated leaves, height of growth up to 3 m.
Aucubifolium (Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum): Premium variety with elliptical leaves and green-yellow dotted leaf markings.
Bruxellense (Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum): boasts broad, sword-shaped, bronze, later red leaves.
Fascination (Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum): inspires with lanceolate leaves and magnificently variegated leaf markings in green, red and orange.

FAQ

Which houseplant has colorful leaves?

If you ask a master gardener this question, the immediate answer is: Codiaeum variegatum; in German croton or miracle shrub. The colorful foliage plant from Southeast Asia is a decorative hit as a houseplant. There are a variety of leaf shapes to admire, from narrow and lanceolate to broadly oval. Breathtaking color compositions in warm autumn colors impressively round off the furious appearance.

My croton is losing its leaves from underneath. What to do?

The damage described indicates that the floor is too cold. If a croton stands in a pot on a stone floor, the indoor plant will suffer from cold feet in winter. Drafts can also cause lower leaves to fall off. Place the pot on an insulating surface such as wood or styrofoam. Avoid tilted windows in the immediate vicinity of the miracle shrub, especially during the cold season.

Is the miracle shrub suitable for hydroponics?

The pure species Codiaeum variegatum and all varieties of the variety Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum are suitable for the hydroponics. Indoor gardeners appreciate that a croton in expanded clay substrate only needs to be watered once a week in summer and even less frequently in the winter months. It is best to buy a young hydroponic plant right away. Moving the roots from soil to inorganic substrate is a little tricky for the tropical croton plant.

The colorful croton leaves turn green in a sunny location. What to do?

Variegated croton plants are cultivated forms of the variety Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum. If green foliage sprout instead of the colorful leaves, the wild species wants to assert itself in growth. You can stop this undesirable process. Consistently cut off all green leaves. In the long run, the Pictum properties will regain the upper hand.