Easy, Year Round Color for Your Garden
Seeking an addition to your garden that provides constant color? Look no further than the Croton (Codiaem variegatum). Crotons are accent shrubs, featuring foliage wildly varigated in splashes of red, green, yellow and orange. They can be so colorful it becomes overwhelming to plant more than a few of them together. These shrubs are available in an array of sizes and colors to suit your taste and your space. Here are a few of my favorites.
Above is a Mammey Croton. These are great for smaller spaces, staying 3-4 feet tall.
Meet the Pie Crust Croton, planted in honor of my husband, the pie baker. The one in my garden is 5-6 feet tall. The name for this shrub was inspired by the edge of the leaves – like pie crust!
Below is a favorite Croton of Treasure Coast gardeners. Petra Croton. Petras get big, about 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. They need some room.
Placing and Growing Crotons
Crotons are originally from the South Pacific and not considered cold hardy. This means they will suffer cold damage from freezing temperatures. Mine dropped their foliage at 38 degrees last year, but came back. North of Ft. Pierce and inland these shrubs need to be protected if cold weather threatens. Plants can be grown in a container, covered or placed out of the wind. These shrubs should be placed in a part sun to shade location, dappled light is ideal. The foliage on some varieties can burn if placed in full sun (Mammy Croton and some others will tolerate full sun). Also worthy of noting, the Croton is somewhat toxic if eaten, so if anyone (pet or human) has plant eating tendencies place the Croton out of reach.
Plant combinations to consider with Crotons
Given their cool, colorful vibe I like to use these with other tropical looking plants – Boston Ferns, Split Leaf Philodendrons, Bromeliads and Ground Orchids are good companions and like the same type of growing conditions.
Crotons are easy to grow if placed properly, watered and fertilized regularly. The only problem I have encountered growing these is scale insects and sometimes aphids find them really tasty. The solution to this is insecticidal soap and diligence.
Add a few Crotons to your garden for a dollop of tropical fun. I am currently searching for a Sloppy Painter Croton to add to my collection.
The Shrub Queen 
I love these plants. I’m not sure I’ve seen them for sale here. I could grow them outside if I take this advice: Plants can be grown in a container, covered or placed out of the wind. These shrubs should be placed in a part sun to shade location, dappled light is ideal
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Love these spots of colour.
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Thanks, Rosie.
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They are so colorful, if only we didn’t freeze.āYours are lovely.
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Thank you. I tried them as houseplants further north with no luck.
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They certainly add a splash of color to the garden!
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I see them planted with fuchsia Ti plants, it is a bit much. Over tropical.
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I’d grow them if I could! Mammey croton is unabashedly fabulous š
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Mammey is my favorite.
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I don’t really see them here only ones for pots that are used as annuals. I was watching a show about South Pacific islands and I thought I saw a Croton. I always check out the plants.
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Yes, they were used as annuals in Atlanta. Probably a good idea, they always corroded and died when I tried to keep them. They are native to the South Pacific. I wonder where all the crazy cultivars come from. Are you back to spring?
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It is starting and my plants that froze are beginning to send up shoots. The tulip trees (magnolias) are blooming.
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Good. I love those magnolias, such a burst of spring.
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I went outside after I wrote this and some of my azaleas are opening. Spring is on the way, which means now I have to clean up the winter leaves.
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I saw these for sale last year for the first time in a local garden center but I haven’t noticed them anywhere in the landscape. As we get warmer here, they may become more prominent.
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They used to be used as annuals in Atlanta. They won’t tolerate any frost, so I am about the northern limit now.
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I love these colourful plants. I never realized how big they can get! Too cold for them in my region, which is a shame as I don’t think they would look out of place at all here.
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One of the surprises in moving to Florida is the gigantic houseplants.
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