Croton Gold Dust - Thin Leaves: Description, Planting, Caring & Uses

                  Croton Gold Dust - Thin Leaves
Croton Gold Dust is a bushy, upright houseplant. The leaves are splashed with green, orange and red with the veins often yellow, depending on the variety. An evergreen shrub that is dense and compact when young. It can become more rounded and leggy when larger. Some cultivars are more green and yellow, while others can be brilliant mixes of reds, oranges, maroon, and yellows. Leaves are alternate to spiral in the arrangement. Leaf shape is also variable with some cultivars being elliptical to oval and others being narrow and linear, while some are even corkscrew.

Common name: Croton Gold Dust

Botanical name: Codiaeum variegatum

Family : Euphorbiaceae

Life cycle: Perennial

Plant height : Upto 7 ft

Leaf Colour: Green

Flower Colour: White

Temperature: 25-35 degree C

Light: Full sun/ half sun

Soil: well-drained soil

Climate : Tropical, subtropical

Advantage: Easy to grow

Planting and Caring:

• Plant the croton plant in well-draining soil to prevent insect and mold issues. If you're planting it in a pot, use a pot with drainage holes, and fill the pot with a mixture of equal parts sphagnum moss and perlite. Outdoors, consider mixing 2 to 3 inches of moss, perlite or aged compost into the soil to aid with drainage.
• Provide the plant with at least six hours of full sunlight each day to maintain the look of the leaves. If it's outdoors, make sure there are no overhanging plants that will block the sun. Indoors, keep the plant in a sunny window, or move it from location to location throughout the day to make sure it receives enough light.
• Water the croton at the first sign of wilting in the leaves, or whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Indoor crotons will require more frequent watering ,sometimes every day,than outdoor crotons, which generally need to be watered once per week. A little wilt will not harm the plants, so allow them to dry out between watering.
• Feed the gold dust plants with a liquid or slow-release fertilizer when blooming begins. The fertilizer should have a 3:1:2 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, this should be indicated on the box or bag in which the fertilizer comes.

Uses:

 Beautiful and popular houseplant.