CROTON
Genus: Codiaeum
Common Name: Croton
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Appearance: Shrubs with highly coloured plants with upright woody stems.
Flowers: Insignificant flowers borne in summer.
Features: Coloured foliage, good for hedging. Slow growing.
Requirements: Moist fertile soil required. Prefers full sun and warm climates. Tolerates light sea breezes. Will not tolerate drought.
Culture: Propagation by seed and cuttings
Pest & Disease: scale, thrips, mealy bugs - use white oil or malathion; Spider mites - use wettable sulphur or miticide.
Species & Varieties:
6 species. Most cultivated plants are from the species C. variegatum
C. aucubaefolium -Foliage bright green with yellow blotches, from Polynesia.
C. bogoriense -Foliage with yellow variegation on green leaves, from Java.
C. spirale -Twisted leaves with red, yellow and green markings, from Malaysia.
C. variegatum -Variable species in terms of colour and leaf shapes. Highly sought after in the horticultural industry.