Croton Petra

Sun

Bright filtered light or morning sun with afternoon shade. Acclimatise gradually to stronger sun; deep shade reduces leaf colour.

Water

Keep evenly moist during active growth, allowing the surface to dry slightly between waterings. Water less in winter, but do not let the root ball dry out completely.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage; use a free-draining houseplant potting mix in containers.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m) outdoors in tropical conditions; usually 2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m) indoors

Spread

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m) outdoors; usually narrower in containers

Foliage

Evergreen. Broad, oval, leathery leaves with prominent yellow veins and irregular green, yellow, orange and red markings. Colours change as leaves mature and vary with light levels.

Growth

Moderate in warmth and good light; slow in cool or low-light conditions.

Care needed

Medium

• Heat tolerant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.6 ft (0.79 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.4 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (2 m)

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

Australia

Growth rate

Slow

• Water thoroughly when the surface begins to dry, then empty saucers and decorative outer pots.
• Feed container plants monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at the label rate.
• Keep indoor plants away from cold windows, draughts and heating vents; aim for temperatures above 15°C (59°F).
• Move plants between indoors and outdoors gradually, and bring summer containers inside before nights fall below 15°C (59°F).
• Repot in spring only when roots fill the container, using a pot one size larger.

Pruning. In spring, shorten leggy stems just above a leaf node to encourage branching; remove dead growth whenever noticed. Wear gloves and protect your eyes from the irritating milky sap.

Spring

Prune leggy growth and check whether container plants need repotting.

Late spring

Begin feeding as growth resumes; move plants outdoors only when nights remain above 15°C (59°F), starting in sheltered shade.

Summer

Check soil moisture frequently and inspect leaf undersides for mites and scale.

Early autumn

Inspect summer containers for pests and bring them indoors before nights become cool.

Winter

Provide the brightest suitable indoor position, reduce watering and stop feeding if growth slows.

• Use as a colourful specimen in a sheltered courtyard container.
• Plant as a low hedge or foliage screen in frost-free tropical gardens.
• Combine with green-leaved palms and ferns so its patterned leaves stand out.
• Use in a seasonal container display with coleus and begonias, then overwinter indoors.

Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Luxury resort, Modern courtyard, Caribbean and Balinese.

Plant it with: Cordyline, Bromeliads, Bird's nest fern, Coleus, Wax begonias and Lady palm.

Wildlife: Small flowers may attract visiting insects in tropical gardens, but this is primarily a foliage plant rather than a dependable wildlife planting.

• Spider mites cause fine stippling and webbing, especially indoors in dry air. Rinse leaf undersides and use a labelled insecticidal soap if needed, testing a small area first.
• Scale insects and mealybugs leave bumps, cottony deposits or sticky honeydew. Isolate affected pots, remove visible pests and repeat a labelled treatment as directed.
• Sudden leaf drop often follows cold draughts, relocation or erratic watering. Restore stable warmth, light and moisture; avoid repeatedly moving the plant.
• Root rot develops in waterlogged soil and may cause wilting despite wet compost. Improve drainage, empty standing water and repot if roots are damaged.

All parts contain irritating compounds and milky sap. Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, causing mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea; ingestion can also upset the stomach in people, and sap may irritate skin and eyes. Horse-specific toxicity information is limited, so keep it out of grazing areas and do not feed clippings. Seek medical or veterinary advice after ingestion or significant eye exposure.

• Other garden crotons (Codiaeum variegatum)

  Petra has broad, oval leaves with conspicuous coloured veins. Other cultivars may have narrow, twisted, lobed or differently patterned leaves; colour alone is not a reliable cultivar identifier.

• Copperleaf (Acalypha wilkesiana)

  Copperleaf usually has thinner leaves with noticeably toothed edges, rather than Petra's thick, smooth-edged leaves and bold vein pattern.

• Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa)

  Ti plants have longer, strap-shaped leaves clustered around upright canes, rather than broad oval leaves on a branching shrub.

The species name variegatum means variegated, referring to the multicoloured foliage.

Propagation. Take leafy stem-tip cuttings in late spring or summer and root them in a moist, free-draining medium with steady warmth and high humidity. Air layering is another option for established stems; wear gloves when handling cut surfaces.

Accepted botanical name

Codiaeum variegatum

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Fiji, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Maluku, New Guinea, Philippines, Queensland, Santa Cruz Is., Solomon Is. and Sulawesi.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.