Croton plants, also known as “garden croton” are native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. In their natural habitat, these plants can grow into a strikingly beautiful shrubs. Their beauty makes a strong impact in your home or garden too! Petra Crotons are easy-to-grow houseplants and are known for their colorful and variegated foliage, covered in shades of green, red, orange, and yellow. At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we have several varieties, sizes, and styles of Croton plants for you to find your favorites.
It’s a dense herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced garden composition. This is a relatively low-maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. These plants will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. Although it’s not a true annual, these plants can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat. This plant does best in full sun to partial shade.
The Petra Croton plant is a popular indoor plant that offers many benefits. This plant is known for its stunning foliage, which features bright, bold colors in shades of yellow, red, orange, and green. The Croton Petra plant is also great for purifying the air in your home, helping to remove harmful toxins and pollutants. When caring for a Croton Petra plant, it’s important to keep it in a well-lit area and to water it regularly, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. With proper care and attention, a Croton Petra plant can thrive in your home and provide many benefits for years to come.
Petra Croton Indoor Plant Growing Guide
This woody perennial is largely considered as a houseplant in colder climates, noted for its striking foliage; glossy, leathery, ovate or lanceolate leaves in a bright range of colors. It features dainty racemes of white star-shaped flowers from late winter to early spring. Its attractive glossy oval leaves emerge green in spring, turning plum purple in color with showy red variegation and tinges of yellow the rest of the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
BREATHE EASY WITH PETRA CROTONS
Petra Crotons can be grown outdoors or as a houseplant. When grown indoors, they provide many other benefits to your health by helping clean the air that you breathe. Houseplants are known to help purify the air in your home and Crotons provide the same benefit. According to the EPA, the level of pollutants in our indoor air is significantly higher than the air we breathe outdoors.
Growing plants indoors can greatly reduce the level of toxins in our space. More importantly, NASA deemed Crotons are one of the top 50 best air-cleaning houseplants. Indoor plants clean the air in three ways:
- They absorb pollutants into their leaves and the toxins are then absorbed into the plant’s roots. Those toxins are transformed into nutrients for the plant.
- Indoor plants also emit water vapors that help the plant pull polluted air to the roots, converting it into plant food.
- While absorbing toxins, indoor plants also release fresh oxygen back into our homes.
BRING COLOR HOME WITH CROTON PLANTS
As temperatures are getting hotter, we are spending more time in the refreshing indoors. Why not fill our spaces with beautiful, easy-to-grow color? Petra Crotons are a hot choice for colorful foliage to adorn your indoor space. Take your plants to the next level and make a statement in your home. Pair your Croton plants with stylish pottery! Here are some different design ideas and styles for your inspiration:
Industrial Edge
Let your Croton plants shine when you plant with neutral, industrial style containers. Add accents of man-made elements like terra cotta pottery and concrete-themed containers.
The clean shape and natural colors will modernize any style or space, making your plants the perfect focal point.
Go Retro
Add a retro touch to your indoor space with a matte pink container. The geometric pattern, lines, and unique shape speak to the vintage vibe and will complement your Croton plants fabulously.
The pretty pink color brings out the red and orange hues in your Petra Croton leaves, creating a groovy statement in your home!
For more information about our fantastic line of retro pottery selections, check out our blog here!
Hand Painted
Our many different selections of hand painted pottery come in a variety of color schemes. They are full of color, design, and personality.
Give your home a pop of color when you pair these beautiful creations with colorful Croton plants. The personal touch of planting in hand painted pottery will give your home a cozy feel with a colorful accent.
PETRA CROTON PLANTING TIPS
For your planting success, plant with a quality, well-draining potting soil like Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil. Our new Premium Container Potting Soil helps your plants get the best start for healthier, continued growth. Made with water saving ingredients like Hydrogel water holding crystals, Expanded Shale and Coconut Coir to aid in moisture control in your containers. Other beneficial ingredients include sphagnum peat moss, composted rice hulls, composted pine bark, earthworm castings, Dolomite lime, and trace elements to keep your plants happy and healthy. Silicon Enriched™ to provide container plants with the same benefits as those grown in the Earth’s soil as it helps to improve drought tolerance delay wilting, and to help increase stem strength. Make sure your container has a drain hole to keep your plant’s roots healthy. If it does not, add stones first before your potting soil to create a drainage system.
To start planting, fill your pottery selection with Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil, leaving room for the plant. Remove your plant from its plastic container and gently loosen up the root ball. Plant into the potting soil and water in thoroughly, letting the water drain through the container. Then, add more soil if needed.
Place your Croton plant in a sunny location in your home to keep the new leaves and new growth nice and colorful.
Keep the soil evenly moist and only water when the soil dry outs. To help make watering easier, try using a RapidTest® Digital Moisture Meter to help measure the moisture in the soil and see if you are watering your plants enough.
If humidity is low in your home, mist the leaves with water once a week to mimic tropical conditions that these plants love.
Feed with Calloway’s Tropical Plant Food as directed. Our 15-5-10 special formula contains a controlled release nitrogen, Fx Iron®, calcium, and other key components to help your tropical plants have healthier growth. Fx Iron® is an environmentally friendly source of iron that promotes new growth and dark green foliage. It helps keep your Tropical plants green without staining concrete surfaces. Our Tropical Plant Food is ideal for Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Indoor Plants, and more.
As with many indoor plants, keep in a location that is out of reach of curious pets and kiddos.
For more information on Petra Crotons, visit our blog here!
GARDEN WITH EASE
At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we want to make gardening easier for you with convenient ways to shop. Our open-air stores are here for you to enjoy, or you can call our store nearest you and place an order over the phone for Curbside Pickup! Plus, try shopping online! When you shop online, you can select Curbside Pickup or use home delivery!
Questions about plant care, availability, or quantities of plants? Call our store nearest you! Our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals are here to help with your planting needs!
Happy indoor planting! Share your indoor plant displays with us on our Facebook page or Instagram and use hashtag #CALLOWAYSNURSERY or #CORNELIUSNURSERY! We love to see what you create!
