Croton plant on coast in San Diego (Carlsbad, CA)

[Lagooncraig]

Trying to find out if it’s ok to

plant croton in carlsbad, CA 

[iDesign]

Hey neighbor!

I'm in South Carlsbad (La Costa Valley) and have spend hundreds of dollars on rare croton varieties, and almost all of them failed during our relatively cold winters (crotons don't like CAs colder nights).

But I have had some success as well!

----

MAMMY

The MVP for me is a very common variety called "mammy", which I have sprinkled throughout the yard. This one is relatively bulletproof (for me), and even takes quite a bit of sun! I just now took this shot of one of my mammy clumps...

----

OAK LEAF

This one originally struggled (in a mostly sunny location), but is doing much better since I moved it to mostly shade a couple years ago.

----

MAGNIFICENT

This is a relatively new one for me, and seems to be a winner so far! This isn't a great photo, but I have high hopes for this one (since it did well over the most recent winter)...

----

EVERYTHING ELSE I'VE TRIED

Here is a typical example of what all other crotons end up looking like in my location. This particular variety ("batik") has been in suspended animation between life & death for a few years now...

----

Bringing them inside in the winter didn't work for me either (all the rare ones I tried bringing in last winter dropped their leaves).

I recently got some great suggestions in this forum for other varieties I should try, which I plan to follow in the Spring. But if you want a "sure bet" variety for our area, start with "Mammy" (in partial to mostly sun) or "oak leaf" (in mostly shade).

Hope that helps!

[metalfan]

I looked at the climate data (average) for your city, Its not that cold on the face of it, it seems more like never really gets warm enough in the warm months.

I'm in Florida zone 9A, borderline 9B, and no one here really plants crotons out with the goal of keeping them alive forever. All it takes is one good hard freeze before 25f/26F, which admittedly has become pretty rare here, to freeze them to the ground, then you have to try and regrow them, it takes forever.

Most people here use the common varieties of croton like Mammey, Pappy, Petra, Batik, Gold Dust, and Banana (and now Magnificent) as annuals. They come in 3 gallon container here for about $15-16 with 2-4 plants in the container. People just do a mass planting in Spring, and grow them on, if it gets to be around frosting in a winter, they throw a blanket over them. But if a really nasty weather even happens, they will cover knowing that they may be replacing in the Spring.

They do the same with Ti Leaves. One restaurant here had a mass planting of Red Sister Ti, that made it through 10 winters, then that ONE winter came along and froze them to death. They just lifted them, got new ones, and replanted them.

I collect crotons, I have old heirloom varieties that come from other collectors, and.a few newer Thai varieties that have come out lately...but I would never, ever plant them out. The winter in the greenhouse, and come back out in Spring.

I have some mature trees (over 12 ft tall, some of them) planted directly into the ground in the greenhouse that have been in there 25 years...Eleanor Roosevelt (Sloppy Painter), Andrew, Lauren's Rainbow, Piecrust, Mrs. Iceton, some others. Then I have some in containers, like Mango, General Sherman, Thai Rose, Interruptum, others

 

[metalfan]

A few of my greenhouse crotons

[metalfan]

[richtrav]

Stacey, have you ever tried Stoplight? It takes long cold spells in winter very well here in So Texas, though it doesn’t start growing until we get some heat. I’ve also had good luck with both Roosevelts and Captain Kid for over a decade in pots, if it ever drops to near freezing I just push them up against the south side of the house.

If Mammy does well for you you might have also good luck with Congo (pic below), it is a sport of Mammy. 

 

 

[Lagooncraig]

On 11/8/2024 at 10:44 AM, iDesign said:

Hey neighbor!

I'm in South Carlsbad (La Costa Valley) and have spend hundreds of dollars on rare croton varieties, and almost all of them failed during our relatively cold winters (crotons don't like CAs colder nights).

But I have had some success as well!

----

MAMMY

The MVP for me is a very common variety called "mammy", which I have sprinkled throughout the yard. This one is relatively bulletproof (for me), and even takes quite a bit of sun! I just now took this shot of one of my mammy clumps...

----

OAK LEAF

This one originally struggled (in a mostly sunny location), but is doing much better since I moved it to mostly shade a couple years ago.

----

MAGNIFICENT

This is a relatively new one for me, and seems to be a winner so far! This isn't a great photo, but I have high hopes for this one (since it did well over the most recent winter)...

----

EVERYTHING ELSE I'VE TRIED

Here is a typical example of what all other crotons end up looking like in my location. This particular variety ("batik") has been in suspended animation between life & death for a few years now...

----

Bringing them inside in the winter didn't work for me either (all the rare ones I tried bringing in last winter dropped their leaves).

I recently got some great suggestions in this forum for other varieties I should try, which I plan to follow in the Spring. But if you want a "sure bet" variety for our area, start with "Mammy" (in partial to mostly sun) or "oak leaf" (in mostly shade).

Hope that helps!

Thx stacey 

 

greatly appreciative 

 

Id love to connect with you in person sometime. 
id love to have you come to the house and also I’d love to see your work too

 

please feel free to call or text and we can meet up 

 

craig 

 

we are off poinsettia 

 

858-769-6755

[iDesign]

@metalfan - Your crotons are so nice! Your greenhouse is full of amazing gems (your anthurium collection was what initially had me floored). You should do a video tour of your greenhouse sometime, if you haven't yet.

@richtrav - The "Stoplight" variety was one of the first ones I tried, after reading a "Married to Plants" post about crotons in CA. Sadly, it was one of my first deaths... but my updated theory is that my plant was too young to plant outside, so I might try again. Perhaps keep it indoors for a year before planting out? (sadly my indoor croton test last winter was a fail though... wish I had a greenhouse). Ideal would be if I could find a "Stoplight" plant that was already a good size, but to date I've just seen them for sale at tiny sizes. Thanks for the additional croton suggestions!

@Lagooncraig - I'd love to visit and/or have you visit anytime! Please feel free to keep posting on Palmtalk as well. I'm in several "gardening" groups, and the people on Palmtalk are the nicest (and funniest) of all of the groups I'm in. There's quite a lot of us here in North San Diego county, but it's also fun to meet like-minded friends elsewhere in the world. As for my own yard, here is a video tour I did a month ago on my most finished area, which also has some additional croton recommendations we should try...

 

[metalfan]

@iDesign,

thanks!

I looked at your average temps, like I mentioned before. While you are in zone 10A, you really aren't in the tropical zone 10A. The day and night temperature variation seems very narrow. And you never seem to get really hot...just sorta lukewarm? At least on paper...

What are your REAL temps where you live? Do you even get long stretches of 80's and 90's?

I have a friend who lives in Culver City (incidentally, I lived in Culver City for almost 8 years back in the 80's, we left CA in 1992). He can grow a lot of things...he's partial to things like Strongylodon (Jase vine), Heliconias, orchids and the like. But where I planted a jade vine in my greenhouse and got blooms within 4-5 years, his planted outside took OVER 10 YEARS to bloom. So did hot heliconias.

Maybe you just don;t have the longer term 'cumulative' heat to make some of these plants happy...?

[iDesign]

3 hours ago, metalfan said:

What are your REAL temps where you live? Do you even get long stretches of 80's and 90's?

I haven’t been as scientific as some people about temperature tracking. San Diego county has lots of microclimates, but I usually get close using Encinitas stats (since I’m near the border). I do get a bit warmer - and a bit colder - than those right near the coast. We enjoy a pretty nice microclimate overall... In the summer I definitely get days in the 90s, and winters do on occasion dip just below 40, but that’s rare. 

I actually have a Jade vine! Although it’s not blooming yet. Maybe 4 years old? It’s currently in the house on a moss pole (near a window) but I heard someone in my area got one to live outdoors… although he had a heating cable at the base (cheater!). Heliconia schiedeana thrives in our area, but I’m not a huge fan of that one… been meaning to try some other types. Many orchids can live outdoors (Tracy has a nice collection). Bromeliads are my personal favorite tropical (since they look good year round). 

[Vari805]

I've been successful with Mammy, Petra and Stoplight in Santa Barbara!  Most everything else kicks the bucket.