Hi Judy,
I got a plant a couple weeks ago. Could you please help identify this plant (picture attached) and why it’s dropping leaves?
I first kept it in low light then near the window, watered regularly after checking the soil and kept the house heating down to 76F, but seems like nothing is working and the leaves keep dropping every day
..Please help
Hi Hassan,
Croton Plant
Your plant is a type of Croton Plant. Crotons are poisonous houseplants so please keep it away from small children and pets. I think your plant is losing leaves because it is over-watered. Here a some care tips for a Croton.
Light: Croton houseplants need bright light to maintain their colorful leaves. If there is insufficient light, new leaves are green not predominantly yellow, red, or orange. 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 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: Croton Plants prefer warm temperatures between 60-80 degrees.
You can read more about Croton Plants in the Popular HousePlant section of the website. The picture is of a different variety but the care is the same.
