6 Incredible Croton Plant Benefits for All

Before moving to a new apartment, I desired beautiful flowering plants last year, and my friend delivered me Croton Plant.

When I searched for Croton Plant flowers, Google threw several images with something like grass flowers.

At first, my heart raced to argue with my friend, but it became calm only after learning about Croton Plant Benefits. 

Though Croton’s blooming features can sadden anyone, overall benefits win the race. 

Stay with the article till the end to leverage the benefits of Crotons with the utmost safety and precaution!

Is Croton Plant Suitable for Indoors?

Crotons are famous as garden Croton in the USDA zone 9-11 as they are a warm and humid lover.

Do not worry if you are from a colder zone, as Croton radiates its elegant appearance even when grown in containers as a houseplant.

You can keep it near the South and west-facing windows and in a highly humid location indoors.

Also, the kitchen near the refrigerator or the bathroom having big windows or the table and shelf receiving direct light are some of the best places to locate the Crotons.

They complement the floor walls with shades of flames with green and pink or purple pops. Even the plant is easy to group with softer houseplants, including Monstera plants, to contrast the room. 

Also, indoor Croton Plants have decreased impurities, bad energy, and stress for most people.

Read till the end to learn more about the benefits provided by the Croton Plant.

Top Secret Benefits of Croton Plant 

There are over 100 Croton Plant varieties, with each offering multiple benefits, so let’s dig out the main treasures through this piece. 

1. Traditional Uses

Croton Plants play a significant role as a traditional medicine worldwide, including in Africa, Asia, and South America.

People in Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, and Gabon still use Crotons as traditional medicine. And they have used it to treat heavy menstrual bleeding, fever, inflammation, malaria, and insomnia.

According to a journal by Antonio Salatino, Croton Plant owns alkaloids, diterpenes, and their associated compounds that treat Cancer, gastrointestinal discomfort, hypertension, dysentery, and constipation.

Each part of Croton Plant has individual medical benefits, which I have mentioned below.

Some people even use the leaves and stem bark as tea or pills to treat diabetes and high cholesterol levels.

Seeds of the Croton tiglium and Croton sylvaticus varieties have the highest level of medicinal value.

Croton Plants has more to offer!

• The direct appliance of Croton seeds helps to treat rheumatism (Joint pain), nerve pain, and muscle pain. 
• It can subside abdominal pain and treat edema, convulsions, and ascites.
• It can treat cancerous lesions, boils, carbuncles, skin rashes, and scabies.
• Croton seeds treat gallbladder issues, colic, blocked intestines, and malaria.
• The leaves of Croton can cure the snake bite if rubbed over the wound.

2. Aesthetic Benefits 

With sprouting green decorations and a pleasant combination of colors, the Croton Plant gives a pleasurable look to any setting.

Croton Plant has leathery and oval- or lance-shaped leaves in bright colors. These colors have a combination of patterns involving striping, blotching, and sometimes the color changes as the plant gets older.

Moreover, the pops of color that Croton offers range from green, yellow, red, orange, pink, and dark to a mix.

Some of the sun-loving varieties are ‘Superstar,’ ‘Yellow Iceton,’ ‘Zanzibar,’ ‘Gold Star,’ and ‘Sunny Star.’

If you wish to create a jungle out of Croton Plant, check out Croton Varieties. 

Due to diversity in color, the Croton Plant fits all the room ambiances, from the kitchen to the bedroom, bathroom, and terrace.

Also, the long and slender leaves enhance the plant’s entire structure, making it more fashionable.

Crotons are even popular for flower arrangements for decoration, corsages, and wedding bouquets for their colorful foliage.

Meanwhile, Crotons goes by the name Garden Croton, so undoubtedly, you can landscape your lawn with them.

However, overexposing to sunlight may cause harm, as the leaves appear scorched and burnt. So be careful with that.

3. Feng Shui Value

Having a Croton is a boon for most plant enthusiasts if they can keep it away from the reach of curious pets and children.

And to have the added benefits of Feng Shui is like a cherry on top. Feng Shui is believed to promote peace and harmony inside the home.

Initially, Chinese people started the concept of Feng Shui hundreds of years ago to lay out the tomb and funeral areas.

However, nowadays, people apply Feng Shui to bring luck and joy into the house.

For that, Croton comes out being a houseplant able to radiate positive energy from its variegated leave if provided with proper care.

Crotons have a wide variety of beautiful shades helping to remove the negativity even from dark corners.

A reddish variety of Croton adds to the Fire element among the five elements if placed on the South.

To get a better result, keep the plant in a white pot, as white symbolizes peace, and place it in the East and Southeast corners.

For the directions, the Southeast corners boost your prosperity and wealth while the east corner is for family.

4. Stress Reduction

Does looking at the rainbow make you happy? If yes, then Crotons are the ones that can give you a vibe similar to rainbows.

The Croton variety contains almost every rainbow color except for the Lemon Croton and Limbu Croton, which have yellow and orange variegation.

However, having even a single Croton inside the house can be pleasing to the eyes and peaceful to the mind.

Since Crotons can survive in indirect bright light, you can bring them into the bedroom or study room and relish their beauty in times of stress and anxiety.

A journal from American Society of Horticultural Science stated that indoor plants contribute significantly to increasing performance, reducing stress, and boosting air purity.

Moreover, Crotons can freshen up the mood and atmosphere in the workspace, schools, colleges, and hospitals.

Crotons are effective in improving mental health and uplifting the overall happiness and well-being of a person.

5. Low Maintenance

Most houseplants already come with the tag of low maintenance, including the Croton Plant.

Usually, I prefer to have a houseplant because they keep my house filled with greenery even without enough time to tend to them.

Only you need to keep it beside a South-west facing window during winter and a South-east window during summer.

For watering, check about 2 inches of soil from the top once in a while, and if it feels dry, water it.

Visit the table to learn more about the care requirements!

6. Easy to Propagate

Crotons are not much of a tough plant to handle and are even easy to propagate if you have the basic knowledge of cutting. If not, do not worry; we will get you covered.

There are many propagation methods for Croton Plant, including breeding through seeds. 

However, propagation via stem cuttings is the most successful method, as it ensures rapid growth and pathogen-free propagation.

Start the process by cutting a 3-4 inches long stem having at least 3 to 4 leaves from the point just below a leaf node.

Use a sterilized pruner. Afterward, dip the cut tip of the stem into a rooting hormone to fasten the growth and prevent external disease attacks.

Lastly, plant the cut stem into a pot containing coconut coir and river sand enriched with organic matter.

Water the propagated Croton to keep it moist, wait at least a month or two to see new root growth, and transplant it.

Health Considerations to Keep in Mind

Though Croton Plants possess traditional and health benefits with a few side effects. 

According to the University of California, Croton Plant (Codiaeum variegatum) includes toxicity level 2,4. 

When exposed to juice or sap on the skin from Crotons may produce a skin rash or irritation. Also, a person may undergo minor symptoms, including rash, vomiting or diarrhea.

If the symptoms like a burning sensation in the mouth, excess salvation from pets, nausea, and vomiting occur, then immediately consult a physician or pharmacist.

Pregnant ladies should utilize additional consideration to avoid croton seeds since they can cause an abortion.

Croton seeds are additionally unsafe to use when you are breastfeeding.  

So you must be careful while dealing with the Croton Plant and restrain from touching them.

Look at the tips below to know what to keep in mind if you have Crotons in your home.

• Keep your hands covered with gloves while handling the Croton Plant.
• If you come in contact with the sap, run to wash off your hand with soap and water.
• Keep them on a shelf or over a slab to keep them away from the reach of children and dogs.
• Immediately remove fallen leaves near the pot area, as pets or babies can chew upon them. 

Where to Buy

After knowing the benefits and every precaution needed, you are ready to introduce some of the Crotons to your plant collection.

Here are some sites where you can easily get your hand on Crotons.

Before leaving, check Gold Dusted Croton, which can grow 10 feet in height at a medium pace. 

Conclusion

Crotons have benefits similar to any other houseplants in freshening the air, embellishing home decor, and significantly providing therapeutic benefits.

In addition, Crotons are easy to grow and maintain, blending well even outdoors.

But, now and again, they may be hazardous to deal with if you are unaware of their toxicity and invite harm to yourself.

Try to grow Croton Plant Seeds if you want to multiply Croton Plants through the old school method. 

So, Be Safe and Keep Gardening!