Croton
Croton is a vegetable in the Euphorbiaceae family. It grows best in bright light with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 10-12.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Croton
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Tropical houseplant (cuttings) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Vividly colored leathery foliage. Note: Sap is irritating; toxic to pets.
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) is a bold tropical foliage plant with leathery leaves splashed in red, orange, yellow and green; needs bright light to keep its color.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Codiaeum variegatum|Hardiness zones: 10-12|Propagation: cutting|Light: Bright light|Water: Medium|Mature size: 3-6 feet
Plan your croton planting
Add croton to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.
- Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
- Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for croton yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.