Crotons of the World

[Moose]

Another Mooseland addition ...

Caribbean Star

[Moose]

Another ...

Prince of Orange

[Moose]

Some recently added croton bling ...

Carmen Christian

[Jeff in St Pete]

We have a few of these on the property. Anyone know the name?

[SubTropicRay]

Jeff, that's Irene Kingsley.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Thanks Ray! I thought this one looked familiar. I like the way the leaves are edged in red.

[Moose]

Jeff - when you come up for Searle's sale, you are more than welcome to come by my place and take cuttings that could fall into your suitcase and hopefully make it back home.

Ron.

[Tampa Scott]

How did you FL guys/gals make out in the cold with your Crotons? So far so good here in Tampa. A few pics taken today...

[spockvr6]

How did you FL guys/gals make out in the cold with your Crotons? So far so good here in Tampa. A few pics taken today...

Scott-

All I can say is LEAF DROP!

I think I have also lost some of the weaker plants, which were damaged from last winter.

[JD in the OC]

I just joined the croton society. Looking forward to more meetings. I like the fact that they all have same botanical name and many catchy cultivar names

[BS Man about Palms]

I wonder how resistant to gophers they are...

[Moose]

How did you FL guys/gals make out in the cold with your Crotons? So far so good here in Tampa. A few pics taken today...

Looking good Scott!

Bill - I have no data to support this statement but my gut instinct is that the gophers would not find them palatable.

[Tampa Scott]

I just joined the croton society. Looking forward to more meetings. I like the fact that they all have same botanical name and many catchy cultivar names

JD, Welcome to the Croton Society! Great group of members are to be found in the society.

Scott

[Tampa Scott]

How did you FL guys/gals make out in the cold with your Crotons? So far so good here in Tampa. A few pics taken today...

Scott-

All I can say is LEAF DROP!

I think I have also lost some of the weaker plants, which were damaged from last winter.

Larry, I have not seen the leaf drop on the established plants this season so far. I went with a liquid acid fertilizer this year on a every other week schedule. So far the outcome has been much better than last Winter. The plants that I added to my collection in Nov and have not had the fertilizer schedule have done the leaf drop.

Edited January 2, 2011 by Tampa Scott

[Moose]

Here is my Mrs. Iceton. Seen 37 F lows three times this cold season already. It has really colored up this area of my garden.

[Moose]

Here is one not seen often - Revelation:

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[Moose]

Another cultivar not often encountered, Norman Rockwell.

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[Moose]

Andreanum

Mrs. Snyder Disraeli

[spockvr6]

Larry, I have not seen the leaf drop on the established plants this season so far. I went with a liquid acid fertilizer this year on a every other week schedule. So far the outcome has been much better than last Winter. The plants that I added to my collection in Nov and have not had the fertilizer schedule have done the leaf drop.

Scott-

What liquid did you use?

[Moose]

Liquid Love dude.

Pink Eburnum

Pie Crust

[LindaB]

Great addition of color & character for the garden.

Linda

[Moose]

<><><>

Madame Butterfly

[Moose]

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Red Quill

[Moose]

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The Moth a sport from Madame Butterfly.

[MMerville]

Very nice pictures Moose.

Michel

[mnorell]

There are so many beautiful cultivars, and unfortunately so few commonly carried by nurserymen. I have the problem of living in the middle of a deer preserve down here on Big Pine Key, and discovered quickly that Codiaeums are more than delicious to them. I bought a bunch of beautiful five-foot 'Dr. Paget' and they were promptly defoliated by the deer. They are now caged until they reach 6' plus, which seems a minimum safe height. Are there some other faster/taller-growing types any of you croton experts out there can recommend? I see a large, attractive yellow-green type in Key West gardens up to 15' or so (I think they may be 'Miami' or 'Mortii') and assume they are faster growers due to their height...I'd like to get this type, but have never seen these for sale anywhere. Any help would be appreciated, as well as South Florida sources for taller specimens.

[Moose]

Michael – I would say that Purity would be the fastest of all croton varieties. It is green with white variegation. Some others that have been fast growers for me : Queen Victoria (nice colorful veins predominately red), Pride of Winter Haven (long leaves, strong veining, blushes of orange) and Charles Rutherford (large semi oak leaf shape). Are you going to encircle the plants with a mesh until they grow to a height that the key deer can’t reach? Do you guys still have a peacock infestation? I was begged to get rid of them from the key over 25 years ago.

PM Jeff Searle, he may have these cultivars available.

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Charles Rutherford <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>Purity

[Moose]

Here is Pride of Winterhaven. The first photo is when I got it in a three gallon container. The next photo is 15 months later, over 4 ft. tall.

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[mnorell]

Michael – I would say that Purity would be the fastest of all croton varieties. It is green with white variegation. Some others that have been fast growers for me : Queen Victoria (nice colorful veins predominately red), Pride of Winter Haven (long leaves, strong veining, blushes of orange) and Charles Rutherford (large semi oak leaf shape). Are you going to encircle the plants with a mesh until they grow to a height that the key deer can’t reach? Do you guys still have a peacock infestation? I was begged to get rid of them from the key over 25 years ago.

PM Jeff Searle, he may have these cultivars available.

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Charles Rutherford <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>Purity

Thanks for the suggestions, Ron. I'll research them further and give Jeff a PM. I'm trying to get the largest plants I can, but apparently I have to cage each one of them until they're 6' or taller. The deer will stand on their hind legs to reach yummies such as these. I witnessed the buck who 'owns' our corner doing this to get at Delonix foliage the other evening. (They are ravenous and I frankly don't know how they can ingest some of the poisonous plants they've decimated so far in my landscape.) I was standing three feet away at the time...so they're not shy about it, either. My several large 'Dr. Paget' crotons are currently resprouting behind their cages albeit slowly. I'm hoping they will grow decently fast as I don't fancy looking at a garden full of circular fences. In addition to large crotons, I went out of my way to get large Cordylines and the deer bent the stems to get at the foliage, which I guess is their equivalent of fudge brownies...then snapped the stems altogether. Those plants are now nothing but large groups of twigs with a few young sprouts here and there, hence even more fences are in order.

I've not seen any peacocks here, so I think someone must have removed them! Perhaps they disappeared with Wilma or Georges. I'm not sure if they could survive a huge windstorm combined with surge, though apparently they can roost in trees so can escape inundation. I expect you would know the likelihood since it sounds from your comment as though you have involvement in that area? I have heard that a large flock of parrots that was known here on BPK for many years disappeared after one of those two storms and they have never returned.

[Moose]

Magnificent - it surely lives up to its name.

.

[mnorell]

Here's the tall-growing variety I mentioned that I see all over Key West. The one pictured is planted at a friend's inn, and is I'd guess about 15 feet tall after about ten years. Quite a vertical habit as well. This one really reverts to solid green if it doesn't get much sun. So the lower parts on this one are pretty much green as they're shaded, and the color is found mostly at the tips and higher up where the plant gets some sun. But even then it makes a beautiful green shrub/tree. If anyone can i.d. this one I'd be ever so happy. Since they're all over Key West (but inexplicably absent from nurseries) I assume it's an older cultivar.

[Moose]

Michael - that is a very hardy old cultivar known as Mortii. Commonly found in South Florida and used as a "hedging" plant when a thick dense hedge is not needed. You are correct in that it looks its best with good sun exposure for at least half a day.

Ron.

[mnorell]

Thanks, Ron! No more sleepless nights worrying about the identity of this! Now I just have to find some 7' plants, too tall for the deer to get to...

[Jeff Searle]

Michael - that is a very hardy old cultivar known as Mortii. Commonly found in South Florida and used as a "hedging" plant when a thick dense hedge is not needed. You are correct in that it looks its best with good sun exposure for at least half a day.

Ron.

Ron,

You have become quite an expert on crotons. The more the merrier!

[amazondk]

Ron and Jeff,

When I pass through S. Florida next time maybe I could get some croton cuttings from you to smuggle back to Manaus and add to my landscape. You have a lot more varieties than I do here.

dk

[KPL]

Aloha Jeff,

I posted 11th August 2010 post #60 and I'm really working on the Crotons now for colour in my garden.

Thanks for your reply in post #65. Colour really makes a difference for some!

The garden shall have more colour and I'll post same when I get the hang of it.

KPL

[Jeff Searle]

Aloha Jeff,

I posted 11th August 2010 post #60 and I'm really working on the Crotons now for colour in my garden.

Thanks for your reply in post #65. Colour really makes a difference for some!

The garden shall have more colour and I'll post same when I get the hang of it.

KPL

It's great to hear that your wanting to add some color to your garden. I couldn't agree more. Be careful though, it can be very addicting, these crotons! I do look forward to some updated pictures of some newly planted crotons when your ready.

Jeff

[miamicuse]

Just saw this old thread with lots of good croton pictures, can't resist bumping it.

Where would one find some of these crotons in south Florida?  Most nurseries just stock the petra/bravo varieties.

[miamicuse]

Excoecaria cochinchinensis Firestorm, also referred to as "Chinese croton", is that really a croton?

[Looking Glass]

14 hours ago, miamicuse said:

Just saw this old thread with lots of good croton pictures, can't resist bumping it.

Where would one find some of these crotons in south Florida?  Most nurseries just stock the petra/bravo varieties.

Everywhere has Petra and Mammie, but I just cruise the local nurseries from time to time, and they get batches of slightly less common ones randomly.  But it’s hit and miss.   I just swing by and take a peek, sometimes getting lucky, sometimes not.  Some of the specialty palm nurseries have the really rare stuff for $$$ also.  They are all over down here, so it’s luck of the draw for me.   If you are looking for something specific, I can let you know if I stumble across any.  See any Stoplight anywhere?