Question
what is this ? STEVEN?
Hello My grandmother passed last november, and my mother and i have recieved this plant as a gift. My aunt Grace who sent it through a service doesn't know type of plant this is. We are in the desert here in PHX,AZ and would like to plant this outside,
but we need to know what this plant needs as the soil here is very
salty and alkaline? (sorry for the the run on sentence!)
THX for any help!!!
AnswerSteven,
The plant is a croton. It is a tropical plant. I have not been to Phoenix so I do not know if they typically plant these in the ground there. They do in Florida all over the place in their very sandy soil. It may be that you would be better off leaving it in a pot and burying the pot in the ground or you can add peat moss (the kind that comes in the square bales in plastic at all garden centers) to the hole and that will acidify the soil in the hole. In Florida I this is planted in a sunny location but in Phoenix I would plant it in a shady location so it does not sunburn. My husband's Aunt has had one in a pot in Southern Illinois for at least 10 years and it is now in a 14 inch pot and it is about 5 foot tall and very beautiful.
Croton plants are known for their bright tropical foliage, which is multi-colored and exotic in appearance. The foliage contains stiff leaves pointing upward and has a wax-like feel to them. The Croton plant requires moderate to bright light, so keep the plant within 1 - 4 feet of a window receiving sunlight indoors. Keep the drapes or blinds open during the day.
Croton plant varieties require heavy watering and like high humidity. Misting the plant once or twice a week appears to be sufficient for accommodating the Croton's humidity needs if you live in an area with low humidity levels. Keep the plants soil moist at all times. If leaves begin to fall off or slope downward, you are probably letting it dry out too much. If the leaves edges become wilted, this may be an indication that you are over watering the plant. Try cutting down on how often you water and see if that improves the leaves appearance. The Croton also prefers warm temperatures up to 80 degrees F.
Overall, I have found that Croton's are a medium to high maintenance house plant. They are extremely touchy in terms of how much water they are given or not given.
Crotons are one of the many poisonous houseplants. Indoors please keep these houseplants away from pets and children. Outdoors children and pets generally do not bother them. Good luck with your beautiful plant.
Darlene
