Croton Plant Care & Soil Guide

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) is a variegated flowering plant with colorful leaves from the Euphorbiaceae family. 

Commonly called garden croton, this tropical plant is native to Southeast Asia and includes popular houseplant cultivars like:

• Croton petra (Codiaeum variegatum 'Petra')
• Croton gold dust (Codiaeum variegatum 'Gold Dust')
• Croton mammy (Codiaeum variegatum 'Mammy)
• Croton red iceton (Codiaeum variegatum 'Mrs. Iceton')
• Croton Joseph’s coat (Codiaeum variegatum pictum)
• Croton sunny star (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Sunny Star’)

Want to enjoy the bright colors of a magnificent croton cultivar in your garden?

Follow our croton plant care tips:

1. Use the Right Soil for Your Croton Plant

Naturally, crotons grow in humid climates on loose soil.

So they need potting soil that’s:

Light and airy

Provides good drainage

Rich in nutrients and organic matter

Regular potting soil blends may not provide the optimum nutrition for crotons, potentially causing leaf drop and browning.

Our recommendation? 

Rosy’s croton soil mix — a nutrient-rich, well-draining soil specifically crafted for crotons. 

2. Maintain Ideal Soil Moisture & Humidity Levels

Keep these aspects in mind when growing croton houseplants:

• Being a tropical plant, crotons need a humid environment with bright light (6-8 hours of sunlight) to grow. They usually prefer room temperatures of 60–70°F and humidity levels between 40-80%.
• While crotons prefer moist soil, soggy soil conditions could cause root rot. 

How to ensure optimum soil moisture and humidity levels for crotons?

Follow these tips:

• Place your croton plant next to a humidifier to maintain ideal humidity levels (instead of misting croton leaves).
• Water your croton houseplant when the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry (enough to keep the soil moist).
• Plant crotons in containers with proper drainage holes to avoid excess water logging.

3. Look Out for Pests

Spider mite and mealy bug attacks are common problems for croton plant leaves. 

If left untreated, mealy bugs and spider mite infestations can stunt leaf growth and cause leaf loss.

How to keep spider mites and mealybugs away?

• Use mild horticulture oil or insecticidal soap.
  
• Wipe croton leaves with rubbing alcohol, neem oil, or cold water. 

4. Follow Best Croton Plant Care Practices

Important plant care tips for growing a magnificent croton plant include:

• Grow crotons in direct sunlight to let their colorful leaves pop. But some varieties, like a sunny star or gold dust croton, can also thrive in bright indirect light.
• Move your garden croton indoors during winters.
• Prune a croton plant (especially dead or damaged leaves) at the beginning of the growing season (spring and summer) to promote new growth. 
• Young crotons need re-potting for the first three growing seasons.
• Add organic fertilizer, like worm castings or compost, to the potting soil every 2-3 weeks during the growing season.
• Use stem cuttings from a healthy croton for propagating a new plant.

Note: A croton houseplant will produce green leaves (instead of bright colors) when not given enough bright light or sunlight.