Croton in bloom

I seldom see the crotons bloom....I was pleasantly surprised.

Spectacular --I've never seen that, but will be watching. Do you think anything in particular triggered it? Fertilizer? Stress?

JP.....I'm not 100 % sure but Its been dry here and I did fertilize a few weeks ago. So I think it could be stress and fertilizer.

ric

Croton, in the ground, bloom about every other year here in Central West FL. If you have bees and such in your area they will make seed.

Stoplight>

In Vieques, I've watched our croton hedges for five years and never *noticed* flowering --can't imagine missing something that cool. I am going to try applying a nice dose of fertilizer at the end of the dry season, to see if that might get things going. Don't need seed, since this plant roots so easily for me, but it's nice to know they can still go that route.

All the croton that have bloomed in this area are given regular water and fertilizer. I mulch the ones I take care of with oak leaves in the early spring. Most croton started out in areas that have no dry season (I think) that may effect flowering. If it is dry in spring/summer, when they normally flower, then you probably missed their flowering cycle.

Ric,
I grow many kinds of crotons indoors up north here(greenhouse) they bloom for me every early spring thru june.I pollinate them and grow from seed.Pic below are male flowers.

Female flowers look like this. When pollinated in mid morning they will make seed pods with a 3 segmented pod.Seeds resemble mini castor bean seeds.Soak overnight and plant barely covered in seed starter mix at 80F.

Fantastic shots --hope you'll post them in the PlantFiles.

The male flowers usually show up before the female flowers, to insure cross pollination, makes self pollination more difficult. This one plant had both types of flowers on one stem.Have never seen this happen more than once.Male at the top, female at the bottom.
Kyle

Eclipse,
Very interesting. I've never seen the female flower. Or the confussed male/female one at that.

thank you.
ric

Ric, no problem.

Some hybrid seedlings at work.

Kyle

thanks eclipse i never knew about female or male flowers. it seems as if mine flower about once a year. you can see in the middle.

i love crotons but hate to see them cut like a hedge. they look so nice as a tree. this one is planted among some arecas.

this one i haven't seen flower yet but love the burgundy

not sure if these are seeds or flowers about to open.

First pic of yours are female flowers, last pic is buds of male flowers getting ready to open. I make white mesh bags to keep the seeds from falling when they open.Like castor beans, when the pods open they explode throwing the seeds around. see pic.

Eclipse....so you are one of the guys responsible for the amazing crotons that are showing up at plant shows and nurseries.....good growing!!!

Ric, I am crossing them, but so far I haven't had the time to propagate my new clones.Some of the new kinds you see available are sports(branch mutations).then made from cuttings.

Aany pics available of "amazing new crotons"? I am looking for more varieties.

Is it true that an unusual shape or cloration on a branch can be carried forward reliably by cuttings from that branch?

That is how most coleus varieties are born, is from sport cuttings.
Heres a few newer ones in my collection.

I have several croton in zone 9 and I didn't even know they could bloom. Thanks for the pics!