Pick its spot and leave it there: warmth, light and stability are everything, and any change triggers leaf drop.
Care
Bright light with some direct sun is what brings out the colours; in poor light the leaves turn green.
Medium — keep evenly moist in summer, a little drier in winter; never let it dry out fully.
Peat-free houseplant compost with added grit or perlite.
Pinch or cut back leggy stems in spring. Wear gloves: the milky sap irritates skin.
A balanced houseplant feed every two to three weeks in spring and summer.
Tip cuttings in late spring or summer with bottom heat and high humidity; let the sap stop bleeding before potting.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilCut back leggy stems to keep it bushy.
- JulyCheck leaf undersides for red spider mite.
- NovemberKeep above 15°C and away from draughts over winter.
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilCut back leggy stems to keep it bushy.
- JulyCheck leaf undersides for red spider mite.
- NovemberKeep above 15°C and away from draughts over winter.
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchCut back leggy stems to keep it bushy.
- JulyCheck leaf undersides for red spider mite.
- NovemberKeep above 15°C and away from draughts over winter.
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchCut back leggy stems to keep it bushy.
- JulyCheck leaf undersides for red spider mite.
- DecemberKeep above 15°C and away from draughts over winter.
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Many leaves fall at once.
What to do. Cold, draughts or a move; keep warm and in one spot.
How to spot it. Speckled leaves with fine webbing.
What to do. Raise humidity and wipe the leaves.
How to spot it. Colours fade.
What to do. Needs more light.
Questions
Croton: is it hardy?
H1b: Tender, needs above 10°C. It survives above 10 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes — a houseplant.
Croton: when do you prune it?
Pinch or cut back leggy stems in spring. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in April.
When do you feed it?
A balanced houseplant feed every two to three weeks in spring and summer. Feeding months, UK: April–September.