Croton Petra : plant description, planting and uses

 
                                           
                                                             Croton Petra
Croton Petras are unique houseplants with their vivid colors foliage of vibrant yellows, greens, red and even a little purple. Most houseplants are boring of one shaded green, but no one ever gets tired of looking at the vibrant Croton Petra. This is an evergreen shrub native to India, southern Asia and the western Pacific islands.The croton plant is one of the most dramatic plants. The mature plant height is 7-10 ft.

Botanical name: Croton Petra

Family : Euphorbiaceae

Life cycle: Perennial

Plant height : 7-10 ft

Leaf Colour: Multi-coloured

Temperature: 20-40 °C

Light: Full sun/ half sun

Soil: Loamy, sandy

Climate : Tropical, subtropical

Advantage: Easy to grow


Planting

Plant the croton outdoors in a location with well-drained, humus-rich soil. For indoor growing, use a large container with unobstructed holes in the bottom and a commercial potting soil designed to provide good drainage. Add a layer of gravel to the bottom of the pot to improve drainage even more.

Place it where it will receive six to eight hours of bright, unfiltered sunlight each day. Provide shade from direct summer sun during the hottest part of the day.

Maintain a consistent temperature between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Outdoors, avoid low spots that may become very cool on winter evenings. Move container-grown plants indoors when the temperature becomes too high or too low.

Irrigate moderately and infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Water about once per week for outdoor plants. During the winter, water less often, keeping soil moist but not wet. Spray the leaves of indoor plants with lukewarm water once per day.

Fertilize it about once per week with liquid fertilizer. If the plant seems to be stunted or suffering from a nutritional deficiency, increase fertilizer quantities slowly, since too much can cause the leaf colors to become dull.

Uses:

Croton  oil has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat severe constipation, heal lesions, and is used as a purgative. It is used as a liquid bandage, as well as for other medicinal purposes, by native peoples.