🌿 Garden Croton (*Codiaeum variegatum*)
🔤 Name English / nombre español / Name Deutsch
Garden Croton / Croton / Bunter Kroton
📄 General description
Codiaeum variegatum, commonly known as Garden Croton, is a tropical ornamental shrub native to Southeast Asia and widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical gardens around the world. It is best known for its vividly colored foliage, ranging from green to yellow, red, purple, and almost black, often with striking vein patterns.
On our finca, this plant was not intentionally planted. It may have naturalized or been introduced by a previous resident. We have decided to let it grow undisturbed, out of respect for its presence and ornamental beauty. It reminds us that some plants, even if not useful in a direct agricultural sense, contribute to the biodiversity and aesthetic richness of the landscape. Their presence can serve as ecological companions, visual accents, and even emotional anchors in a changing environment.
🌿 Botanical Characteristics:
Family
Euphorbiaceae / (Spurge family)
Growth and Structure
Shrubby perennial with upright to slightly spreading form, often 1–3 meters in height.
Leaves
Evergreen, leathery, highly variable in shape and size — ovate, lanceolate, or deeply lobed. Strongly variegated with red, yellow, green, and orange tones, depending on light, age, and cultivar.
Flowers
Inconspicuous, cream-white to yellow, on long slender racemes. Not showy. Male and female flowers occur on the same plant.
Pollination
Not well studied under finca conditions; presumed insect-pollinated.
Sexual System
Monoecious
Sexual System Notes
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🌤️ Soil and Climate Preferences
Prefers full to partial sun, high humidity, and well-drained soils. Sensitive to cold and wind exposure.
🌿 Fruit and Use:
General Use
The fruit is a small capsule containing a few seeds, but it is not edible. All parts of the plant, especially the sap and seeds, are considered toxic if ingested, and may cause skin irritation. On our finca, this plant is not used for any productive purpose. It is part of our “leave in peace” zone — a space for plants to exist without being judged by their usefulness.
Ripening Season in Costa Rica
Not applicable
Common Fruit Traits
Not edible; small dry capsules
Climacteric Category
Irrelevant (not consumed successfully by humans)
👉🏿 Climacteric category overview
Climacteric Category Notes
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🌱 Propagation and Grafting
Can be propagated by semi-hardwood cuttings, usually in warm, shaded, and humid conditions. Air-layering is also possible. It does not propagate spontaneously under finca conditions.
✂️ Care & Challenges:
Pruning
Minimal pruning needed. Remove dead or crossing branches occasionally.
Diseases and Pests
Generally free from major pests under finca conditions.
Soil and Fertilization
Grows well in rich, well-drained soils. Avoid overwatering.
🧺 Harvest Notes
Not applicable
📍 Individuals in the field
Soon to be added
📷 Photos