San Vicente Botanical Garden Series 4: Variegated Crotons: Most Popular Ornamental Plant in the Garden

 San Vicente Botanical Garden Series 4

Variegated Crotons: 

Most Popular Ornamental Plant in the Garden

Codiaeum variegatum (fire croton, garden croton, or variegated croton; syn. Croton variegatum L.) is a perennial plant belonging to Family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, growing in open forests and scrub. Today, it is perhaps the most popular, and one of the easiest-to-grow and maintain, ornamental plant on backyards, home gardens and parks.

Dr Abe V Rotor

"No plant in the garden has as many and different  

shapes and colors, growth pattern as the croton,

counterpart of the chameleon..." 

 

"yet humble and mild, discreet and shy

in the shade, among its kind,

in many varieties, rare and common,

or sometimes difficult to find." 

"Extreme variants the croton is known, 

no wonder its many different names and fame -

San Francisco, Buenavista, Variegated Laurel, 

Codiaeum variegatum, its scientific name."

"Where plants are scanty around, 

where flowers are hard to grow,

   too much sun or to much shade,

     call on the croton to the rescue."

 

"Crotons grow wild and tall,

or surround a giant tree;

they make fine hedge and fence 

    or simply grow on spree." 

"Radial symmetry when viewed from above;

 makes Christmas the whole year round

in the garden." 

"Catch the sun in your garden 

and make it alive;

where flowers are rare to grow,

crotons survive."

 

 

Two faces or two species, 

botanists are at odd

 to split the family or not;

for heavens sake,

     leave that to God."  ~