Crotons stir up colorful language from Plantopinions experts.
Crotons stir up Florida landscapes with a riot of kaleidoscopic colors and nearly 700 cultivars to select from. So it was no small feat for each ArtisTree Plantopinions expert to winnow down their favorites to just one. But they managed, considering cultivars like Funky Jungle Queen, Chili Pan, Mrs. Iceton and Turkey Foot. Crotons are one of the few perennial evergreen shrubs that provide tropical color throughout the year and perform well in a variety of sun exposures. If reviewing our experts’ faves leaves you thirsting for more, call ArtisTree to schedule your landscape renovation!
Joe Mantkowski, ArtisTree VP Landscape Design: I’ve always been a big fan of Gold Dust crotons because they have a brilliant sprinkling of gold all over bright-green leaves, making for a really nice contrast. Some leaves are sprinkled just right; others are practically splattered with gold. These crotons prefer partial shade and a high level of humidity. They’re slow growers and are best kept at four to five feet tall. Overall, a very nice, low-maintenance shrub with outstanding curb appeal. Avoid soggy soil and it will thrive.
Clinton Lak, ArtisTree Landscape Designer: The classic Petra is my favorite croton variety to use as a mass planting in shady gardens. They have large leaves of yellow, burgundy, green, orange and bronze that are veined with oranges, reds and yellows. Even from far away, their leaves just seem to glow. Petras need about six hours of sun each day and weekly watering to look their best. They can get big, reaching up to 10 feet tall and six feet wide but are easily manageable.
Chris Culp, Landscape Designer: My go-to croton for bright indirect light is the Stoplight because it has such a commanding presence and is extremely hardy. Best to fertilize it a couple of times during growing season (spring and summer), with pruning in the spring. It’s a fast grower reaching up to six feet or so. I just really like their brilliant shades and especially their longer leaves. Of all the crotons, this one’s a real show stopper that I use to contrast with other tropical plantings.
Brian Clouser, ArtisTree Landscape Designer: I like Zanzibar. It gives a nice contrasting texture, bright colors and can tolerate a decent amount of sun or shade. I like it in a shaded area for a bright pop of color. What really makes it stand out are its shoestring-like leaves — glossy and shoestring-like in a mix of yellow, orange, red and green. They almost look like ornamental grass. Zanzibars only reach two to three feet, making them ideal for bed borders, groundcover or even in containers.
Elisabeth Owen, ArtisTree Landscape Designer: My favorite is the Mrs. Iceton croton because it has softer shades. The tones are beautiful — canary yellow, blush, coral and pink on linear leaves. Plus, it can reach up to three to six feet, which makes it a beautiful hedge or planted as clusters of color. Mrs. Iceton crotons are slow growers and perfect to use as understory plants or in gardens with indirect light. What’s especially nice is that their softer colors are easy to match with other nearby plants.
Conan Michel, ArtisTree Landscape Operations Manager: The Mammy croton is my personal favorite because it can take the sun and heat and still punch out unbelievable color. It’s great for smaller spaces, staying three to four feet tall. I’ve seen Mammy crotons paired with plants like evergreen giant liriope (as a border plant) and/or flowering, dark green plants behind it like ixora shrubs. Leaves are corkscrew shaped – shiny, thick and large — which also adds nice textural interest and explains their nickname “Corkscrew” mammy.
ArtisTree VP/Landscape Joe Mantkowski & landscape designers Clinton Lak, Chris Culp, Brian Clouser, Elisabeth Owen, plus Landscape Operations Manager Conan Michel.
ArtisTree “Plantopinions” is a roundtable debate between ArtisTree experts on the virtues of various plant specimens. Sometimes there’s consensus and sometimes not. In the end, you are the judge.
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