Indoor flowers always amaze with a variety of shapes and colors, as well as their splendor and, possibly, quirkiness. We want to introduce you to a plant that has absorbed all these qualities at the same time. What is even more interesting: heterogeneous leaves and shades are observed within the same specimen. We are talking about the amazing representatives of the southeast flora - crotons. The types of the most popular of them are described in this article.
Some information about the extraordinary perennial
The plant that will be the subject of our discussion belongs to the euphorbia family. It has a relatively wide habitat and is the record holder for the number of species. Crotons are scientists of more than 1,000 names. And among them there are shrubs, tree and herbaceous plants. They grow in India, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Not all of them have a decorative appearance and are able to exist at home. Just one species made it possible for breeders to obtain a cultivated plant, which is now known as codium. In turn, from several varieties of this exotic flower, numerous varieties for indoor cultivation have been adapted. Among flower growers, they are usually called crotons.
Botanical Description
All types of croton are perennials with numerous branching shoots. The main stem is strong, erect, in conditions of room content reaches a height of 1 m.
Petiole leaf plates are original. They are three-fingered, lanceolate and oval. Leaves with a wavy contour are ready-made floral elements resembling elegant twisted ribbons. They have a very dense leathery surface, painted in different colors with all kinds of patterns.
Paniculose inflorescences are laid in the axils of the leaves, which consist of several yellowish or whitish buds with elongated anthers.
Species classification
Crotons - plants are amazingly beautiful and diverse. Varieties of motley hybrids are distinguished by the configuration of leaf blades. For example, appendages consist of two parts with a thin jumper connecting them. Three-lobed like oak leaves, have a shallow dissection. Flat plants have oval or slightly curved plates. Instances with a painted surface deserve special attention because they attract gardeners with contrasting combinations of colors. Consider the most common varieties of crotons with different foliage structures.
Popular varieties
They are as follows:
- Mrs. Iston. In crotons of this variety, the leaves are usually wide, with rounded edges. At the initial stage of development, they have a creamy tint, and eventually acquire a burgundy color, against which pink stains are pronounced. In some places, they can remain yellow and become covered with black spots. Due to the fact that the color scheme of the plant changes slowly, the tree looks quite variegated.
- Zanzibar. Spectacular bush, with long lanceolate leaf plates, very beautiful and winding. They are characterized by a green tint with yellow fragments. Depending on the lighting, the main colors can turn into violet and red tones, spilling randomly on the surface of the foliage.
- Excellent. It differs from other crotons (codiaeum) with a three-blade leaf shape, a bush height (0.5 m) and a rich palette of colors. These chameleon plants can be painted in different colors at the same time. From the side, the bush is similar to a composition collected from leaves of completely different colors.
- Petra. Widely branched bush with densely growing shoots. On the stem, the leaves are arranged alternately. Clear yellow stripes are drawn on their bright green surface, between which small blotches are barely noticeable. Leather plates have a chic glossy surface and, accordingly, high decorativeness.
- Sunny Star. A tall bush, under optimal conditions, can grow up to 1.5 m. The leaves are elongated, tongue-shaped, of a very beautiful color. Croton is interesting by the uneven color transitions. Among the yellow-green mass can be bright lemon leaf plates in the form of reeds.
- Mummy A colorful variety with narrow, cropped leaves according to the type of wave. Below they are brown-red, closer to the crown - yellow-green, the main vein is pink.
Care
Croton does not belong to the category of excessively demanding colors. Professional flower growers say that caring for it is not much different from keeping indoor plants such as ficus or yuka. Watering, loosening the substrate and spraying are important conditions for the normal existence of an indoor flower. However, he has a special need for diffused, uniform lighting. This is due to its unique color, which he won the hearts of many gardeners.
So that the croton continues to be the desired decoration of your home, and its leaves do not lose their charm, you need to put it in a place where it can receive a large amount of sunlight. Meanwhile, an excess of ultraviolet radiation can lead to burns, on leaf plates they appear as yellow spots.
To water a croton, warm water is needed, which has been standing for several days. The plant feels good with plenty of moisture in the warm season. It is necessary to ensure that water does not accumulate at the basal part. Therefore, when planting a plant, it is imperative to pour a drainage layer, and then pour out excess water from the sump in a timely manner.
To maintain the vital activity of plants, a special complex of mineral elements intended for tropical deciduous crops should be introduced. Codiums are especially needed during the growing season - in spring and summer. Fertilizers are added after watering, not exceeding the established doses indicated on the package.
Leaves should be regularly cleaned of dust with a damp cloth. Pruning of crotons is not necessary, which greatly simplifies the care of them.
Transfer
In crotons, the root system grows very quickly, so some growers recommend a plant transplant annually. However, this rule is not always mandatory. In some cases, the plant lives in a flowerpot for a long time and looks healthy. If you notice that the container with the flower begins to deform a little, and the roots ask for outward (protruding from the holes on the bottom of the pot), then it's time for the plant to transplant into a new pot. He stops growing during such a period. It is important to know how to transplant a croton so as not to damage its root system. This is done as follows:
- The container is taken wider in size, but not too deep. For reference, you need to insert an old pot into it and see that 1.5 cm of free space is left over the entire diameter.
- As already mentioned, particular attention must be paid to drainage. Expanded clay or other material selected for this purpose is poured with a layer of three centimeters.
- A substrate is poured onto the drainage, a recess is made in it, and then the plant gently lowers.
- It is very important to maintain the integrity of the coma together with the earth and roots, so the transplant is carried out by transshipment.
- Further on the sides, soil is added to fill the remaining voids.
Breeding
Mostly flower growers use one way of propagating crotons. The tops are cut off to the plants, which are then planted in the ground for rooting. Cuttings should be up to 11 centimeters long. After they are cut off, milky juice begins to stand out in the mother bush, so these places should be treated. When the slices dry out a little, they are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon. These manipulations should be carried out carefully, because the juice is poisonous. In damp ground, cuttings quickly release roots and grow.
Growing problems
Some gardeners, wanting to emphasize the exterior features of indoor flowers, make up plant combinations using codiums. Crotons in such compositions undoubtedly occupy a dominant position, however, some caution must be exercised here. From other flowers to them can pass pests - scale insects and mealybug. To avoid unwanted damage, you need to often inspect the plants and carry out their treatment with insecticides.
Brown spots on the leaves indicate that the plant begins to rot. It is necessary to get rid of diseased leaves and temporarily reduce watering.
With low humidity, spider mites begin to appear on the bushes. In this situation, you need to immediately wash the leaves and carry out processing with special preparations.
If crotons lack nutrients, leaf plates are noticeably smaller.
Leaf folding occurs due to insufficient watering or direct sunlight.
Conclusion
If you are a connoisseur of beauty and like to design floral compositions, try to realize your ideas with the participation of any representative of different types of crotons. All of them are wonderful and beautiful in their own way.