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Add some color to your home with this medium croton petra. This gorgeous tropical plant thrives in brightly lit spots. The more sun they get, the more rainbow shades will appear in their variegated foliage. You can usually expect warm stripes of red, pink, and yellow contrasting with dark green. Bright and bold, they are surprisingly easy to care for.
This croton petra is packed with vibrant tropical colors. A rainbow marvel, they are at their best in bright rooms. Exposure to the sun helps their foliage to flourish in shades ranging from yellow to red and everything in between. In addition, they are easy to care for, making them a great tropical plant for beginners.
Croton Petra Plant Care Guide & Presentation
Loves bright light so they can produce their colorful leaves.
Water when the soil begins to dry out, but do not oversaturate.
Enjoys high humidity. Spritz occasionally.
Keep this plant in consistent temperatures. Avoid drafts, heat or air vent outlets and windows and doors. Avoid moving this plant around or they will protest and drop leaves.
Outside: Place Crotons in morning sun to develop their vivid colors. Midday sun can burn the leaves. Leave outside in container pots until night time temperatures dip to 60°F.
Inside: Set this plant in bright, indirect lighting.
Water the Croton Petra one day prior to fertilizing. Fertilize once a month by diluting a liquid fertilizer by half strength. A slow release granular fertilizer can be added to the top of the soil and as you water will release nutrients for the plant. Let the plant rest in the fall and winter.
When receiving the plant, do not repot immediately but wait at least 6-12 months or if the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes.
Repot in the spring, using a 2" bigger pot to keep the roots drier. (Too big of a pot could cause the soil to dry slower, which is not helpful.) Use a well-draining indoor potting mix with perlite to help with drainage.
Water your plant in the old pot before transferring over and let them sit an hour. Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow it to drain. Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen.
Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling.
Ensure the plant is sitting about 1" below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over.
Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.
Gently wipe clean with a soft, damp cloth or paper towel. Work gently from the stem's base toward the leaf's tip, cleaning both sides at once. After cleaning the leaves, remove any dead leaves or debris on the surface of the soil.
Refresh the soil mixture if needed.
Prune away damaged or diseased leaves down to the stem base with sterile scissors. They can be pruned down to a manageable size if overgrown to create lushness. When pruning, only remove 1/3 of the stem height at a time.
In the spring or summer, prune 3-4 inch stem cuttings from the parent plant with three to four leaves on the stem.
Dip the ends in root hormone (mixed in water at a paste consistency) and place in damp, well-draining, moist potting soil mix and tamp down around the stem to secure.
Use a container that has drainage and is deep enough for the roots to grow. Place the stem at least 1-2 inches down into the soil.
Mist inside a clear plastic bag to create moisture and humidity. Place the bag over the top of the plantings and let it set over the planter. There is no need to tie off the bag but allow a little airflow under and into the planting pot.
Set in bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting.
Check the moisture and humidity each day and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots establish.
After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to form. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots are establishing.
Another way is to directly take leaf cuttings from the stem and place the ends in an inch of filtered or bottled water. Replace the water weekly and observe the growth each week. Once you have several healthy roots, combine a little rooting hormone into the well-draining potting mix to help get established. Water the soil and use a clear plastic bag, misting it with water, and place it over each leaf to create high humidity. Each week, check the soil moisture and water if needed. After 6-8 weeks, the roots should be firmly in place, and a new baby Croton will continue to grow fresh sprouts!
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What is a Croton 'Petra' Plant?
What's not to like about the colorful leaf palette of the Croton Petra? Its bright red, yellow, orange, and green leaves brighten the corner of any home. New green growth will start coloring up as it matures when it is situated in an eastern, southern, or western window to gain lots of bright, indirect light. The more sun it gets, the more rainbow shades appear in its unique variegated foliage. Stripes or red, pink, and yellow will contrast beautifully with the darker green foliage.
Give it room to grow over time, as it can reach 3-8 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide, adding tropical vibes to any room. The Croton Petra plant is full of vibrant, beautiful colors. A rainbow marvel, care for it, and it will bring color and warmth to any room! In some parts of the world, it can even be grown as a full outdoor shrub or tree (mainly in Zones 9, 10, and 11).
Toxicity Level
This indoor plant will induce oral and gastrointestinal sickness in cats, dogs, and humans if eaten. Drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur. Wear gloves when working with the plant or trimming, as the sap can cause skin irritation. Get a Personalized Plant Recommendation
Air Cleaner
Croton house plants encourage deep breaths! A NASA study rates your Croton Petra plant as removing VOCs. It can add freshness and moisture to your air, but it looks good doing it! Enjoy the pure, clean air anywhere you place this indoor plant.
Great for People:
- Who love bright, warm colors
- Who like wild, full, and vibrant tropical plants.
- Who love the vibe of tropical jungles
- Who has a bright bathroom with space for plants
Great for Spaces:
- With a high humidity environment or climate
- With brighter, longer natural lighting
- With lots of space, height, and bright light for the perfect plant home
How to Care for a Croton 'Petra' Plant
Light preference
The Croton 'Petra' plant will produce multicolored leaves in moderate to bright, indirect sunlight. It can tolerate lower light, but its leaves will stay green like its new growth. It needs 4-6 hours of indirect sunlight a day to keep it colorful and vibrant.
If grown outside in Zones 10b-12, make sure it has some afternoon and evening shade to avoid burnt leaves. If moving this plant from one spot (indoors to outside), it may drop leaves. Continue to care for it, and it should recover over time.
Water & Humidity
The Croton 'Petra' plant is a medium maintenance plant. Check the top 1-2" of soil, and if it sticks to your finger, it doesn't need watering. The leaves will also droop if they're thirsty but will bounce back afterward. Use lukewarm, filtered, or bottled water, and flush the plant. Let the water drain completely before placing it back in a decorative pot (if it's in a grower pot). Repeat this watering schedule when the Croton's topsoil gets dry again. Back off on watering in the winter as growth decreases.
This indoor plant comes from the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, Southern India, and Australia, hence its preference for places like its native environment with humid conditions. Add humidity through spritzing, a humidifier, or a pebble tray to keep this plant moist and happy.
Ideal Temps
Croton Petra plants love warmer vibes similar to its natural environment, so it prefers temperatures between 15°C-27°C/ 60°F-80°F. Keep this houseplant away from cold air or drafts in the winter, around your air conditioning units, and around windows that may leak cold air. The cooler air can stunt growth, or in the worst case damage your plant.
Plant Food/Fertilizer
Fertilize with our organic fertilizer once per month for optimum growth and Croton Petra care in the spring and summer months. Discontinue fertilizing in the fall and winter months during its resting period. While feeding your plants may seem intimidating, it is easy once you get started!
Repotting Frequency
Repot when you start seeing the roots emerge through the drainage holes. During the early spring, repot in a container that is 2" wider in size. Use a well-drained container soil to prevent any waterlogged roots. If the soil already has fertilizers mixed in, wait for 3-6 months before adding again. At that time, top dress the soil with fertilizer by tilling it in a little, and as you water, it will release nutrients to the plant.
After repotting the Croton 'Petra' plant may protest by losing some of its leaves. This shock reaction can be typical of this plant as it's sensitive to changes in its environment. Give it TLC, and it should recover with new green growth.
Cleaning
Keep your Croton 'Petra' plant dust-free by carefully cleaning the leaves with a moist cloth. Gently take the cloth and wipe down the leaves front and back, taking care to not damage them. Never use spray leaf shine; this may obstruct the stomata's (cell structure for the exchange of carbon dioxide and water in the air). You can spray the leaves with just water for humidity and cleaning purposes, however!
Pruning & Propagation
To create bushier growth, pinch back the stems to promote branching. This can help the plant direct energy towards the main stems. Without regular pruning, the plant will become tall and leggy. Don’t worry, these trimmings can be propagated! Take the stem trimming, propagate with the 3-4 inch stem from the top. Root them in water or consistently moist soil for 3-6 weeks for rootlets to emerge. Rooting hormone can help this process, and it usually is advised to keep it in a humid area to encourage the process. Some people even put plastic bags over the plants!
Common Issues of the Croton 'Petra' Plant
- Overwatering can kill this plant. Keep the roots from sitting in water to try and prevent any damage. Use a good draining soil and pot with adequate sized drain holes. Before watering, always check to make sure the top two inches of soil are compl
- etely dry!If your Croton's leaves aren't colorful, move it to a brighter spot near a window with indirect light to promote better coloration and growth.
- Mealybugs and spider mites can attach this plant if it is under stress. Remove these insects by using neem oil or horticulture dormant oil.
- It doesn't like a change of scenery, so keep it in one place and avoid playing musical chairs with it! Crotons tend to lose their leaves in protest. If this happens, continue to care for it, and it will likely recover from the shock of a new environment and put on new growth.
Complimentary Plants with your Croton 'Petra' plant
If you want to add a complimentary color to the Croton 'Petra' plant, try the Flamingo Flower. Its colorful blooms of red will heighten the hues in the Croton. It also has the same watering and humidity schedule, making them compatible playmates!
Add more color and blooms to the plant palette with our Kalanchoe Collection. Their care level is easy for beginners taking very little time to maintain. Place near your Croton 'Petra' and Flamingo Flower to get the bright, indirect light they're all craving!
For more information on caring for your new Croton indoor plant, check out our comprehensive care guide here.