Crotons are becoming more and more popular among experienced plant enthusiasts and newbie plant growers.
Offering vibrant and attractive leaves, these plants can bring tropical vibes to your house while maintaining an air of elegance and sophistication. They also make great housewarming and just because gifts to loved ones.
With over a hundred varieties, choosing which one to get can be confusing. So, we curated a list of the best croton varieties to make decision-making much easier for you!
The Best Croton Varieties for You and Your Loved Ones
Sunny Star Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Sunny Star’
Origin: Southern Asia
Size: 1 to 5 feet tall if grown indoors; 1 to 10 feet tall if grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: Once a day
Feeding: Every two weeks to three weeks
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
As you may infer from its name, sunny stars are a sun-loving croton variety. It’s known for its elongated, oblong-shaped green leaves with yellow patches.
If you want the plant to have a brighter yellow hue, place it in an area that receives bright, indirect light. The leaves turn more yellow the more light they receive.
However, you should avoid areas that get a lot of direct sunlight. Sunny stars’ leaves can be sensitive to direct light and may get burned when they’re exposed for a long time.
This variety is also quite a heavy feeder, so it’s a good idea to always have a bag of houseplant fertilizer ready.
Best for: South-facing windows since these windows receive the most sunlight in the house
Magnificent Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Magnificent’
Origin: Indonesia
Size: 1 to 5 feet if grown indoors; 1 to 10 feet tall if grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: Water only when the surface of the soil is visibly dry
Feeding: Feed monthly during summer and spring
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
True to their name, magnificent crotons are a magnificent addition to any space, whether it’s indoors or outdoors. With their leathery, oval-shaped, green, and pink foliage, they can bring a splash of color to a boring office or a minimalist living room.
Magnificent crotons thrive in bright, indirect light and prefer an environment with high humidity. They also prefer well-draining soil, as they can suffer from root rot if they’re overwatered.
They can be grown both indoors and outdoors, but they should be in an area that’s slightly shaded when outdoors. This is because intense, direct afternoon light may be too much for the leaves.
Best for: People who live in highly humid regions
Gold Dust Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Gold Dust’
Origin: Southeast Asia
Size: 1 to 3 feet if grown indoors; 1 to 10 feet if grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: When the top 2 inches of the soil is dry, usually once a week
Feeding: Once a month during summer and spring; no feeding needed during winter
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
Gold dust crotons have a distinctive appearance, making them a popular choice for people who want to add visual interest to their indoor and outdoor spaces.
They have vibrant green leaves that are covered with small, bright golden spots, giving the plant a unique and stunning appearance.
Gold dust crotons usually stay compact when placed indoors, growing up to 3 feet only. However, they grow up to 10 feet if placed outdoors and provided with ideal growing conditions.
Best for: Office desks, as gold dust crotons are relatively small
Eleanor Roosevelt Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’
Origin: Indonesia
Size: 1 to 6 feet tall
Light: Bright, indirect sun
Water: When the top 2 inches of the soil is dry, usually once a week
Feeding: Once a month during summer and spring; don’t feed during winter
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
Named after a former first lady of the United States, ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’ croton can bring an air of elegance to your home or office.
The plant has long, slightly narrow, bright green leaves that are decorated with yellow or gold spots, giving it a graceful and elegant presence. The leaves tend to grow really long and start to droop, so don’t forget to prune them at times.
This particular variety thrives in warm and highly humid environments, so misting it every now and then can greatly help it. That said, avoid overwatering the soil and let it dry a bit first before watering again.
Best for: Patios that receive bright light. Eleanor Roosevelt’s height can enhance the overall aesthetic of the patio and make the area more inviting to guests.
Oakleaf Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum “Oakleaf”
Origin: Pacific Islands
Size: 1 to 6 feet tall when grown indoors; 6 to 9 feet tall when grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect sun
Water: Wait for the top two inches of the soil to dry before watering
Feeding: Feed every other week during summer and spring
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
As their name suggests, oakleaf crotons’ leaves are shaped similarly to that of oak trees. They are typically broad with pointed tips and deep indentations along the edges.
The leaves come in a wide variety of colors, including green, red, pink, and orange. They have a distinct vein pattern that gives them a unique and dramatic appearance.
Oakleaf crotons love nutrient-rich soils, so feeding them every other week can help them grow healthier. Use a liquid fertilizer with higher nitrogen and potassium levels, as excessive phosphorus can be harmful to the plant.
Best for: People who recently moved to a new home
The plant’s vibrant and uniquely-shaped leaves can bring more personality to the house. It can also serve as an excellent temporary decoration while the homeowners are still settling down.
Petra Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Petra’
Origin: Southeast Asia
Size: 3 to 6 feet tall when grown indoors; 3 to 8 feet tall when grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: Only water the soil when the top 2 inches are dry
Feeding: Feed once a month
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
This list will not be complete without Petra croton, one of the most well-known croton varieties. It’s loved for its glossy leaves with an attractive mix of colors, including shades of red, orange, yellow, and green.
The leaves have slightly curvy edges, splotches, stripes, and veins, creating a dynamic and striking appearance.
Petra crotons need bright, indirect light for at least 5 hours each day, so it’s best to place them near windows that receive a lot of light. Direct sunlight may scorch their leaves, so ensure that they have a bit of shade when outdoors.
It’s important to perform regular pruning to ensure that they don’t become too big for your space, as they typically grow up to 6 feet tall indoors. You may also use the trimmings to propagate the plant and enjoy more Petra crotons.
Best for: Mothers and grandmothers who love taking care of plants. The regular pruning the plant needs can help them relax and feel less bored at home.
Red Iceton Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Red Iceton’
Origin: Mexico and the Caribbean
Size: 1 to 6 feet tall when grown indoors; 1 to 8 feet tall when grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: Once a week
Feeding: Once a month during spring and summer; once every two months during winter
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
Red icon croton is another beautiful variety of croton that’s native to Mexico and the Caribbean.
It has beautiful dark green leaves with warm yellow veins, which turn red and pink as the plant gets older, making an exciting houseplant to grow.
It usually reaches a maximum height of 6 feet when grown indoors, but it can grow up to 8 feet if placed outdoors. It’s a great border plant that can give your backyard more privacy and color.
This plant needs bright, indirect light for its leaves to become as vibrant as possible. However, it’s important that they don’t receive more than 5 hours of direct sunlight to make sure the leaves don’t get burned.
Best for: Individuals that don’t have pets or young children, as it can be toxic to them
The plant is usually placed on the floor due to its height, so it’s easily accessible to pets and children. It’s also colorful, which can intrigue both kids and pets.
Andrew Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Andrew’
Origin: Malaysia
Size: 1 to 5 feet if grown indoors; 1 to 10 feet tall if grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: Only water when the surface of the soil is dry
Feeding: Feed monthly during summer and spring
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
Native to Malaysia, the Andrew croton variety is becoming increasingly popular worldwide because of its dark green and cream-colored leaves.
Its leaves are narrow and long with wavy edges, as opposed to the broad oblong-shaped leaves of most crotons. The leaves can grow up to 10 inches long if grown in ideal conditions.
It needs bright light to thrive, but like other varieties, it prefers a bit of shade, as direct sunlight can damage the leaves. It’s also prone to overwatering, so only water it when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch.
Best for: Plant enthusiasts
Despite its popularity, this variety can be quite hard to find, so gifting it to a loved one who’s a plant enthusiast will surely make their day.
Banana Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum variegatum ‘Banana’
Origin: Australia and the Pacific Islands
Size: 1 to 2 feet tall when grown indoors; 1 to 6 feet when grown outdoors
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: Water only when the top 2 inches of the soil is dry, usually once a week
Feeding: Feed once a month during summer and spring and every two months during fall and winter
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets
Banana crotons are the perfect croton variety for office desks, coffee tables, and other small areas in your place. It’s among the smallest croton varieties, reaching only two feet tall when grown indoors.
Compared to other croton varieties, banana crotons don’t have pointed tips. Instead, the plant has long, narrow, bright green leaves with yellow patches and rounded tips.
The plant can be quite sensitive to temperature changes, so ensure that its location is above 15°C most of the time and there aren’t drastic temperature fluctuations.
Best for: Bathroom shelves
The plant is relatively slow, growing only up to two feet. Banana crotons also love highly humid rooms, which is perfect for bathroom plants.
