Plant Library

Other Names:  Sloppy Painter Croton, Variegated Laurel

Description:

This woody perennial is considered a houseplant in colder climates, and noted for its striking foliage; glossy, narrow leaves of deep green, splashed and speckled with bright yellow; a striking accent for any indoor space or patio pots

Features & Attributes

Eleanor Roosevelt Variegated Croton's attractive small glossy narrow leaves emerge light green, turning dark green in color with distinctive yellow spots throughout the year on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth.

This is a dense herbaceous evergreen houseplant with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture is quite ornamental and should be used to full effect. This plant should not require much pruning, except when necessary to keep it looking its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Eleanor Roosevelt Variegated Croton can be expected to grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. This houseplant will do well in a location that gets either direct or indirect sunlight, although it will usually require a more brightly-lit environment than what artificial indoor lighting alone can provide. It does best in average to evenly moist soil, but will not tolerate standing water. The surface of the soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely, and so you should expect to water this plant once and possibly even twice each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It will benefit from a regular feeding with a general-purpose fertilizer with every second or third watering. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant. Be warned that parts of this plant are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so special care should be exercised if growing it around children and pets.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.

-- THIS IS A HOUSEPLANT AND IS NOT MEANT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER OUTDOORS IN OUR CLIMATE --