My daughter had this plant with lovely, color- splotched leaves. Don’t know what it is, or how to look after it!
Hi Olga,
Croton Andrew
Your plant is a Croton, the specific variety looks like an “Andrew.” Crotons are very poisonous houseplants! Here are some care tips:
Light: Croton houseplants need bright light to maintain their colorful leaves. If there is insufficient light, new leaves are green and not colorful. Too much direct sun causes phototoridation, a condition that makes Croton leaves gray and dull looking.
Water: Allow the top 25-30% of the soil to dry out before watering a Croton Plant. Crunchy leaves indicate over-watering. Leaves become soft and droop when your Croton needs water. When a Croton is severely over or under-watered leaves drop off.
Fertilizer: Fertilize a Croton houseplant monthly in the spring and fall and every two weeks in the summer with a basic houseplant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. If your Croton is in a bright sunny spot, but the new leaves are coming in green, reduce the amount of plant food. Too much fertilizer also causes the leaves to curl.
Temperature and Humidity: Croton Plants prefer warm temperatures between 60-80 degrees and high humidity. These conditions encourage Leaf Spot Disease and Powdery Mildew.
Flowering: The flowers on a Croton houseplant are small and inconsequential. Remove them as soon as they appear so they don’t drain the plant’s energy and hinder leaf development.
Pests: Crotons are susceptible to Mealy Bugs, Scale, and Fungus Gnats but it is Spider Mites that do the most damage. Because Croton houseplants have multi-colored leaves, it is often difficult to see the spider mites. These plant pests suck the color from the leaves and ruin the plant. Thoroughly spray your Croton with the green solution once a month as a preventative measure.
Soil: Use a rich potting soil that is loose and drains quickly.
Pruning: Trim the stems of your Croton to encourage new growth and to keep the plant bushy and full.
