Croton ID Help…

[Looking Glass]

I put in a foundation hedge of Ilex/Holly bushes a few years back.   They grew well, but weren’t very tropical, seemed stretched wanting to become more treelike, and attracted tea scale like the plague.   I decided to swap them out and replace then with a variety of crotons instead.   I’ve just been kind of picking up what catches my eye as I run across them.   

Nothing super rare, but since I’m no croton expert I was wondering if anyone could help with some IDs…  

#1.  This one is Nestor, I think…

 

#2. This one looks a little like Irene Kingsley, but not quite…..

 

#3. This looks FDR or Elenor Roosevelt…

 

#4.   No idea on this one….

 

#5.  No ideas here either….

#6.  No idea on this one too…

 

Heres some others just for fun….

Sunny Star…

Mammy….

Picasso’s Paintbrush…..

Mrs Iceton…

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, Looking Glass said:

I put in a foundation hedge of Ilex/Holly bushes a few years back.   They grew well, but weren’t very tropical, seemed stretched wanting to become more treelike, and attracted tea scale like the plague.   I decided to swap them out and replace then with a variety of crotons instead.   I’ve just been kind of picking up what catches my eye as I run across them.   

Nothing super rare, but since I’m no croton expert I was wondering if anyone could help with some IDs…  

#1.  This one is Nestor, I think…

 

#2. This one looks a little like Irene Kingsley, but not quite…..

 

#3. This looks FDR or Elenor Roosevelt…

 

#4.   No idea on this one….

 

#5.  No ideas here either….

#6.  No idea on this one too…

 

Heres some others just for fun….

Sunny Star…

Mammy….

Picasso’s Paintbrush…..

Mrs Iceton…

 

 

If no one here can answer, you might look over the various varieties on Peter's Crotons ( ... And Cordylines )  If none match what he has listed, maybe e-mail him / send pictures of your ?'-able varieties.  I know he grows many more cultivars than he has listed at any given time.  Same w/ Ti Plants.

[bubba]

Those are beautiful Crotons. Crotons are virtually ubiquitous throughout South Florida. Unfortunately, they were treated somewhat like redheaded stepchildren.

I can remember my grandmother constantly telling me to keep away from the Crotons when I was a kid because they would stain my pants. Under her breath, she would say that she needed to get rid of them!

The new varieties have created an entirely new Croton universe. They are really things of beauty.

[Marie Nock]

10 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

I put in a foundation hedge of Ilex/Holly bushes a few years back.   They grew well, but weren’t very tropical, seemed stretched wanting to become more treelike, and attracted tea scale like the plague.   I decided to swap them out and replace then with a variety of crotons instead.   I’ve just been kind of picking up what catches my eye as I run across them.   

Nothing super rare, but since I’m no croton expert I was wondering if anyone could help with some IDs…  

#1.  This one is Nestor, I think…  Yes, this is Nestor

 

#2. This one looks a little like Irene Kingsley, but not quite….. This one is Reliance

 

#3. This looks FDR or Elenor Roosevelt…  This one is Joanna Coppinger

 

#4.   No idea on this one….  No idea either

Mothers and Daughters

#5.  No ideas here either….

#6.  No idea on this one too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It may be Picturatum

…

 

Heres some others just for fun….

Sunny Star…

Mammy….

Picasso’s Paintbrush…..

Mrs Iceton…

 

 

 

[Looking Glass]

3 hours ago, Marie Nock said:

 

Thanks!   That helps a lot.   There are so many crotons out there it’s hard to keep track.  

[Marie Nock]

Here's a link to an excellent online Croton Encyclopedia;

https://palmpedia.net/wiki/Category:MASTER_NAME_LIST

[Looking Glass]

10 hours ago, Marie Nock said:

Here's a link to an excellent online Croton Encyclopedia;

https://palmpedia.net/wiki/Category:MASTER_NAME_LIST

I’ve looked through this a bunch, but man, hunting and pecking is hard through that massive list for unknowns.   Once I get a lead, I can find it in there, but sometimes I’m prey clueless.  

“Reliance” above was a great example….  Now that you’ve steered me in the right direction, I can see it pretty clearly.   But prior to that, I was lost.   

It was just sitting there at a nursery in with 200 other crotons with no label.   

It’s weird how the selections around here seem to change every year, aside from the few most common regulars (Petra, Mammy).   Last year Mango was everywhere.   This year…. None.   This year I see Picasso’s Paintbrush all over, last year I couldn’t find it most of the year.  

I want some Stoplight for out front, but it seems hard to come by right now down here.  

I do see how these things can get addictive though….   
 

…..Lol, I was just admiring Bermuda Red on that site and realized that’s your name below the last picture!!!!   That’s another great one.  

[miamicuse]

The #2 is not Irene Kingsley.  My Irene Kingsley looks like this.

For comparison, this is my Reliance, but different lighting conditions the colors can vary greatly.

On the #6 that is an interrupted leaf croton, I wonder if it may be what's called Victoria Golden Bells.  This is mine for comparison.

I am also planting crotons in a section of my yard that is heavily shaded or partially shaded.  I haven't found a croton that really does well in the south Florida full sun, I don't mean tolerate or can survive in the sun but does well.  I was told Dreadlocks so I planted two in the sun and two in the part shade and the part shade dreadlocks grew much faster with more colors then the one under full sun.  My favorites are Geisha Girl, Fishbone, Arrowhead, and Mosaic.

[Looking Glass]

10 hours ago, miamicuse said:

The #2 is not Irene Kingsley.  My Irene Kingsley looks like this.

For comparison, this is my Reliance, but different lighting conditions the colors can vary greatly.

On the #6 that is an interrupted leaf croton, I wonder if it may be what's called Victoria Golden Bells.  This is mine for comparison.

I am also planting crotons in a section of my yard that is heavily shaded or partially shaded.  I haven't found a croton that really does well in the south Florida full sun, I don't mean tolerate or can survive in the sun but does well.  I was told Dreadlocks so I planted two in the sun and two in the part shade and the part shade dreadlocks grew much faster with more colors then the one under full sun.  My favorites are Geisha Girl, Fishbone, Arrowhead, and Mosaic.

I feel like many prefer a blast of sun at some point during the day, and decent breaks at some point.

I think Mammy, and the Mammy-like cultivars, can take true full FL sun, my Picasso’s Paintbrush does pretty well in full sun too.  Sunny Star and Gold Dust seem to do well with heavy sun.  Smaller and narrower leaf varieties seem to tolerate the drying sun better.  

Yours look really great.  I think different clones can vary in quality quite a bit, and of course sun, soil, heat, and water all contribute to different looks for every kind.  I’m putting most of mine in part-sun spots now.