Garden Croton
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called croton, Fire Croton, Joseph's Coat, sun-spot croton and Variagated Croton.
Garden Croton is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. The sap can irritate skin. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum (v). Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- The sap can irritate skin. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Water generously from spring to autumn and sparingly in winter. Crotons need no winter dormancy but benefit from a rest with less water from fall to late winter.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- In spring, air layer; or in summer, dip the cut ends of softwood cuttings in powdered charcoal to limit bleeding, then root them over bottom heat.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning group 9. Cut leggy plants back to around 10cm and dust the cuts with powdered charcoal to limit bleeding.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by twospotted spider mites and banded greenhouse thrips.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects can attack it. Diseases rarely cause problems.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Codiaeum variegatum, commonly known as croton or variegated croton amongst many other names, is a species of plant in the Euphorbiaceae family. Initially described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, its native range is from Java east to Fiji, and from the Philippines south to Queensland, Australia. It is widely cultivated and has been introduced to many other countries.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Malesia to SW. PacificWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Malaysia, Pacific islands and northern AustraliaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026S & SE AsiaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- shrub or treeWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Annual, Perennial, Shrub; habit erect, ovalNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 24–96 in; width 24–72 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 1-1.5 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, insignificant, whiteNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers white in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.