Rank: Newbie
Joined: 6/22/2010
Posts: 1
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A friend who's moved away gave me this croton which I've been keeping in similar circumstances to where it was before (East-facing window with an hour or two of direct sun when affordable, temp mostly in the 70's-low 80's, fed every other week) and it's been doing sorta for the worst I guess, having lost some of its (few?) lower leaves making it look alot stickier than alot of these I've seen before.Any tips on conditions since it seems different on every webpage I check? Also, is there any way to make it grow back leaves in the bottom to mid area? I understand it was repotted before giving it to me...is that a factor? And also I think it's flowering, growing these weird green clusters in the middle of some new leaves that are popping out. Is this good or bad? Lol thanks. Here's a pic if it'll help Croton6/10
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 9/14/2008
Posts: 207
Location: Ankeny, Iowa
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Cortons losing it's bottom leaves is natural and is the way they grow. They will never grow back it's lower leaves but will continue to grow upwards. Make sure it is drying out thougoughly, and then water good. I never water mine until it starts to droop. Crotons can live a long time if taken care of, I have one that is 15 years old and still thriving. Good luck
Operational Manager at Earl May Nursery and Garden Center in Ames, Iowa Visit my latest website Midwestern Plants
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 8/17/2010
Posts: 8
Location: NYC
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Crotons will lose their lower leaves with time, as said above, it's natural. If it seems to be losing a lot of leaves at once, try misting it or otherwise raising the humidity, and the leaves will fall more slowly. Another possible reason for faster lower leaf drop is the presence of red spider mites, which are too small to be seen. If it has them, you will see little webs between the stems and leaves.
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