Bring on the Monster Croton

[DoomsDave]

BS' post about the non-Croton begged the question of how big Crotes can get.

Post your pics, brothas!

And sistas!

[edric]

This morning 44 degrees, the largest one stands 71 inches tall, all three planted from one gallons, in 1994, Ed

[epicure3]

Not quite a good looking as Florida, but this guy is about 4' tall. Most of the leaves are red as it doesn't get a lot of sun.

[epicure3]

Here's a few others. Not monsters, but a good sizes.....The dryness of California weather makes the leaves bleach out some.

[Borgy230]

For leaf size, so far I think the biggest is Captain Gilbert Cutler, or General Pagent

Captain Gilbert Cutler

General Pagent

Just look at the leaf size in relation to my dog! he is about 85-90 lbs

[Al in Kona]

If left untrimmed it is not uncommon to see many CROTON plants from 6 to 8 feet tall. (1.8 to 2.5m). Some forms or species are shorter, however. On many of the Crotons the same plant can change leaf colors depending on the season and lighting. Below are three pics of the same unidentified Croton growing in the garden with photos taken at very different times during about a two year period. This Croton measures at approximately 6ft. (1.8m) tall.

[spockvr6]

The largest Crotons I have ever seen were ~15 ft tall. I think I have some pics somewhere.....

At the hotel I am staying at now in West Palm Beach, there are a few Crotons that are something north of 10 ft tall. God only knows how old they are too get to this size!

[Walt]

BS' post about the non-Croton begged the question of how big Crotes can get.

Post your pics, brothas!

And sistas!

I submit this one from zone 9b Lake Placid, Florida. Note the car to the right behind the jacaranda tree trunks for scale. Click on photo below to take you to album photo. Then click on the magnifiying glass symbol beneath photo and then click on that photo to enlarge it so as to view photo full size for leaves detail and clearer view of car:

[spockvr6]

Nice one Walt!

I cant find all my Croton pics, but heres a quick one I did find of a decent sized specimen. This is growing in a 10b area, although I have seen a few that are close to this size in my area (which is a very low 10a, maybe very high 9b long term).

Edited January 20, 2009 by spockvr6

[Walt]

Nice one Walt!

I cant find all my Croton pics, but heres a quick one I did find of a decent sized specimen. This is growing in a 10b area, although I have seen a few that are close to this size in my area (which is a very low 10a, maybe very high 9b long term).

Larry: Yes, that's a decent sized croton. I just happened across this one (one I posted) today as I was driving home from the post office and it caught my eye due to its size. Now I want to find one that will top that one!

[epicure3]

Here's a few others. Not monsters, but a good sizes.....The dryness of California weather makes the leaves bleach out some.

So here's my largest at about 4' tall. Kind of spindly, but, what do expect....this ain't Fiji you know. Mostly red since it is shade most of the year.

[Moose]

[edric]

On 1/17/2009, 7:23:56, edric said:

This morning 44 degrees, the largest one stands 71 inches tall, all three planted from one gallons, in 1994, Ed

This may have been may first post, perhaps 2nd or third, wow,  I will post new photos today, Ed

[edric]

Hi guys, all three have been froze to the ground, Ed

[Funkthulhu]

I'm going to need a bigger pot.....

[palmislandRandy]

Here's a Croton leaf that opened on my "Davis #87" last week. A record size for me! The yellow portion of the leaf will gradually change to purple. My absolute favorite Croton.

[Josh-O]

are there any cold hardy species of Croton's? 

[palmislandRandy]

On November 17, 2015 at 5:14:41 PM, Josh-O said:

are there any cold hardy species of Croton's? 

What's your definition of "cold". It's probably different than mine! Most crotons defoliate under 45F- 50F, but do come back in the spring.

[palmislandRandy]

This one is called "Buddy". It's about 10' high & would even be taller, but it had blown over in a storm & never righted. It's even wider. I passed by this one & had to make a u-turn! My Buddy came from this plant.

[Loxahatchee Adam]

A croton tree pic I took last year at the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, FL.  They have a number of awkwardly large versions of plants compared to what you'd usually see...but it's an old place.  This one is tall enough that you can walk under that arch over the sidewalk.

[Moose]

16 hours ago, Loxahatchee Adam said:

A croton tree pic I took last year at the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, FL.  They have a number of awkwardly large versions of plants compared to what you'd usually see...but it's an old place.  This one is tall enough that you can walk under that arch over the sidewalk.

Sunken Gardens has a lot of old but albeit stretched out crotons. There were some old varieties that had been lost (we thought), that had been preserved at the Sunken Gardens. The International Croton Society was given permission to take material for reintroduction. They did a very good job as these "lost cultivars" are now in many collectors Gardens and are being shared with others.

[Bazza]

Awesome thread......I have a number of established specimens on my property - over head high. More on those later.

For now though check it out.......I was able to salvage these from a friend of mine's house before he did some remodeling which would have damaged and/or perhaps killed them. The back story is - I used to live next door to this property back in the 80's and the husband and wife were avid gardeners - I mean they were always out in the gardens futzing about. The husband lived to over a hundred and finally passed away and now the house belongs to my friend and I was able to rescue my former neighbor's prized Crotons.

These plants were all transplanted into 15 gal. containers and babied until they went through their transplant shock. Much foliage drop! But they have all survived and will be trimmed back in the early Spring to promote new foliage.

 

Here they are at my former neighbor's house before we dug - and there were 4 more in the front...about 10 specimens total!

 

 

In front of my house about to unload.....:)

[Bazza]

Another quick story.....here's a 7 gallon Mammy that I had brought up from down south by a nurseryman friend.

 

 

This is at  my Mom's house...somewhere I have a pic of her standing next to it....

It started out as a Mammy and then morphed back into another variety - so it's part Mammy and part ?

What a beauty though, huh? Pic taken back in '09 just before another record freeze winter.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bazza]

Some Mammys in my front yard - bonus points for anyone who can identify the slender trunk palm in the middle of the photo coming up behind the Mammays.   Big hint: Native to Oz....red fruit!

[Moose]

On 11/23/2015, 9:04:26, Bazza said:

Another quick story.....here's a 7 gallon Mammy that I had brought up from down south by a nurseryman friend.

 

 

This is at  my Mom's house...somewhere I have a pic of her standing next to it....

It started out as a Mammy and then morphed back into another variety - so it's part Mammy and part ?

What a beauty though, huh? Pic taken back in '09 just before another record freeze winter.

 

 

 

 

 

The sport (morphing) looks a lot like Congo. Very nice healthy plant. Glad to hear you saved the crotons. I've rescued a few old ones myself?

[Laisla87]

On 11/24/2015, 1:12:47, Bazza said:

Some Mammys in my front yard - bonus points for anyone who can identify the slender trunk palm in the middle of the photo coming up behind the Mammays.   Big hint: Native to Oz....red fruit!

I know I'm late but that palm looks like a Carpie..

[Jupiter1]

It's in there 

[Bazza]

On 3/10/2018, 5:38:33, Laisla87 said:

I know I'm late but that palm looks like a Carpie..

Bingo!

Sadly....she passed away from freeze damage. She basically survived the freeze but I think some rot set in just below the crownshaft and one day about a month ago a huge gust of wind knocked the top section right off. I should have initiated a fungicide spray program but didn't realize the rot was there. All I saw was the green spear coming out of the top. Live and learn. I've also lost a nice Queen to Fusarium Wilt and a beautiful Coconut in a 30 gal. container....all in the last 30 days. Bums me out.

The good news is I have some Alexanders and Piccabeens in my stash as well as another 30 gal. Coconut and the 3 Coconuts in the ground made it through.

Love to get another Carpie one day....I loved that palm!