Garden croton

Biology

The garden croton is an evergreen shrub whose leaves are glossy, leathery and very variable in shape and colour: pink, orange, green, brown, yellow and white. In addition the plant may change colour as it matures. The inflorescences are long racemes with male flowers – white with five small petals – in separate plants from female flowers, yellowish with no petals.

Curiosities

As with many other species from the Euphorbiaceae family, the garden croton’s sap is toxic. Still, it can be used as herbal medicine to treat gastric ulcers, as long as it is given in very small quantities.