Troy's Tropics

Freckles Croton Care Guide – Tropical Treat!

What’s the deal with the Freckles Croton plant?

Freckles Croton is a variety of Croton with colorful spots all over the leaves. These easy-to-grow plants are tough enough to survive indoors and don’t need much attention. Crotons are a great way to quickly create a tropical space without much effort.

If you’ve bought your Croton’s from our nursery, then you don’t have to worry about planting them right away. They are very resilient and can survive the pot we provide with occasional watering until you’re ready to re-pot them.

This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new Croton.

How do you care for an indoor Freckles Croton plant?

The process of caring for indoor Freckles Croton is almost the same as an outdoor one… but everything moves more slowly.

Indoor plants will run out of water more slowly, grow diseases more slowly, and wilt more slowly.

To prevent your plant from running into these problems, follow our tips below!

Do croton freckles plants need direct sunlight?

There are lots and lots of different croton varieties. Although the advice for the species is mostly the same, different colored plants will need different amounts of sunlight.

Our freckled variety has thick waxy leaves. These thick waxy leaves are great for retaining water and withstanding direct sunlight.

There is another variety of Croton called Fire Croton, or Codiaeum variegatum, that LOVES direct sunlight.

Freckles Croton loves sunlight too.

But!

If you let this plant sit in direct sunlight all day, then its color might fade away and have leaf shrinkage.

To lay it out simply: Unlike Ice Croton, Freckles Croton can be put in direct sunlight during the morning and early afternoon.

How do you water Freckles Croton plants?

Luckily, despite all the wide varieties of Croton, the water requirements of this group of plants are pretty much uniform throughout!

Water is a variable that’s directly linked to how much sunlight a plant gets.

If you’ve put your Freckles Croton outside, then you’ll need to water it quite frequently – especially during the growing season.

If you’re a local here in Florida, then you’ll have to be extra careful because of our intense summer sun.

A good rule of thumb is that the top layer of soil should be moist. So if it’s dry, add some water!

Inside, you might be looking at once a week.

Outside, you’re looking at every other day.

In general, these plants like humid places. (Which is why Florida is a great place to grow them)

If you’re running a dehumidifier in your house, then you might want to plant Crotons outside.

During the winter months, Crotons won’t be as thirsty, so be careful not to overwater your plants.

Are Freckles Croton plants poisonous? Yes!

While this isn’t topic isn’t directly related to helping you take care of your Freckles Croton plant, it’s important. We don’t want any pets -or children- getting sick.

There is a milky sap inside the stem of this plant that is toxic when ingested.

While this sap is usually not fatal for cats, dogs, or small children… the seed pod can actually be fatal.

This poisonous sap isn’t just found in Freckles Croton either.

All varieties of Crotons have this same dangerous sap in their stems.

If you have any kind of Croton in your home, make sure that it is placed in a location where its beauty can be appreciated but not ingested!

How to propagate a Croton Freckles plant

Some plants can be pretty tough to propagate. Luckily that’s not the case for this plant – it’s easy!

Just follow these steps to propagate your Freckles Croton:

Find a healthy Freckles Croton mother plant and use a pair of sharp scissors to cut just below a node module. You’ll want the branch/stem to be more than 4 inches long. Remove any leaves at the bottom of the cutting, but keep the ones on top.
Dip your branch into some rooting hormone to ensure that your plant roots quickly and properly. Then put the cutting on some paper towels and allow it to dry.
Once dried, place the cutting in a mix of perlite and peat moss. Water it. Cover the plant with a plastic bag (creating a tiny greenhouse).
Keep the plant moist by watering it often; keep it at a temperature of 70 degrees F.
Celebrate after four weeks when your plant’s roots start showing!

From here, you can place it in some water to allow the roots to keep growing, then transport it directly to the soil and let it grow that way.

Are there any common problems with Freckles Croton plants?

There are two infections to keep an eye out for:

Crown gall

This is a bacterial infection that is common to Croton. It appears as a thick, swollen growth on the plant’s stem. If you see this change in your plant, I’m sorry, but the plant should be discarded. This disease can transfer from one plant to another, so trying to cure it can cost you more plants.

Anthracnose

AKA leaf spot, this is an all-too-common fungal infection. Anthracnose shows on the leaves as brown-colored dots. If this happens to your Croton, clip off the affected leaves and keep it from spreading to other plants.

How big do Freckles Croton plants get?

These plants get BIG. They grow big if you plant them inside, and they get BIGGER if they’re outside.

Inside, you’ll eventually end up with a 6 feet tall tree if you don’t prune it.

Outside, the croton plant will grow up to 10 feet tall!

The leaves are usually anywhere from 4 – 12 inches long.

Pruning the plant will keep it contained to the height and width that you need.

When you’re ready to add a Freckles Croton plant to your collection, come by our nursery!

Freckles Croton for sale

Take advantage of this Freckles Croton care guide by raising some plants of your own.

When you stop by, you’ll get to see crotons of all sizes, and you’ll get to see a bunch of other really pretty plants too.

Visit our nursery at Troy Tropics and turn your backyard into an outdoor paradise.

Our team of greenery experts can help you decide on the best plants for your home.