Croton Mammy [Energize Your Home With This Showstopping Plant]

croton mammy

Croton Mammy [Energize Your Home With This Showstopping Plant]

The Croton Mammy looks like a work of art thanks to its vibrant, beautiful leaves and stunning corkscrew shape. Artistic and eye-catching, this plant is sure to become the centerpiece of any room. But to keep your Croton Mammy vibrant, you’ll need to keep a few essential care requirements in mind.

 

The Croton Mammy is not as picky as other Croton varieties, making it perfect for beginning gardeners that want a more exotic plant in their collection. Here are some of the most important things to know about the Croton Mammy, whether you plan to grow it indoors or outside in your garden.

 

 

What is a Croton?

Hailing from India and Malaysia, Crotons are tropical plants with colorful, round foliage. While each Croton variety has different looks, many are known for their thick, leathery leaves. In fact, “croton” is Greek for “tick,” referencing the round shape of the leaves.

 

Croton Plants are hardy and versatile. While a bit picky, once you know what it takes to keep your plant happy, they will be thriving and vibrant. Every Croton Plant variety is known for its stunning beauty, meaning the effort is always worth it.

 

What is a Croton Mammy?

The Croton Mammy is native to Australia and the Western Pacific Islands. This tropical plant features some of the most vibrant leaves you’ll ever see. Shiny and deep, leaves range from dark green to stunning red. The leaves grow in a twist, creating a corkscrew-like shape.

 

Mammies require regular a regular watering schedule. However, avoid overwatering. Whatever you do, never allow your Croton Mammy plant to dry out between waterings. Keep the soil moist but not soggy.

 

What Colors Can They Be?

The Croton Mammy is well-known for its bold, colorful leaves. The leaves can be yellow, red, green, purple, or brown, depending on the variety. Mammies can also be variegated, having multiple colors and patterns on their leaves.

 

How Tall Can Mammies Grow?

The Croton Mammy Plant can reach about 3.5 feet. They also have a spread of about two feet. This is one of the smallest Croton Plant varieties. Their leaves are about eight inches long, twisting and curling while growing upright. The Croton Mammy is a slow-growing plant, so it will take a while for it to reach its maximum height.

 

Does the Croton Mammy Flower? 

Yes! While a rare occurrence when kept indoors, the Croton Mammy Plant can sprout tiny yellow flowers and white flowers during the autumn season. The best way to ensure flowers is to keep the air humid and warm, especially around the springtime. But the blooms are often underwhelming. They are small and often hidden underneath leaves.

 

While you may never see these flowers, the stunning, colorful leaves more than make up for the lack of flowers. The Croton Mammy Plant is beautiful all year round, through spring, summer, and fall.

 

 

a bunch of mami crotons

 

 

Other Popular Croton Varieties

The Croton Mammy is an indoor plant unlike any other, thanks to its brilliant colors and interesting corkscrew shape. But if you’re looking to add another tropical plant to your collection, there are luckily many Croton Plants to choose from! Let’s take a look at some of them.

 

Zanzibar Croton

The Zanzibar Croton has long, narrow leaves that appear bouncy and light. Their leaves can be green, red, purple, yellow, or orange. This Croton plant is native to warm, frost-free, subtropical regions of the world such as Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, hence its name. Reaching about three to four feet tall, Zanzibar Crotons make great outdoor plants and decorative indoor plants.

 

Yellow Iceton Croton

With fully yellow leaves as well as green leaves with yellow variegation, this Croton variety is one-of-a-kind. Standing three to four feet tall, the Yellow Iceton Croton is a remarkable addition to any room that needs a bold, colorful touch.

 

Croton Magnificent

This is one of the most colorful of the Croton Plants. The Croton Magnificent has thick leaves that are light green and yellow with splashes of bright colors. You’ll find red, orange, pink, and purple colors speckled throughout the Magnificent’s leaves.

 

Victoria Gold Bell Croton

Both long and short leaves dangle off this Croton plant’s thin, tall stems. The spread-out leaves are orange, red, and green. You’ll notice them changing color depending on the amount of light this plant gets. To get the most color out of this Croton’s show leaves, place the plant in a room with bright light, preferably near a window.

 

Superstar Croton

The Superstar Croton looks like it was hit with a paintball gun. Each bright green leaf features splotchy splashes of yellow. This eccentric plant grows up to five feet tall, making it the centerpiece of any room. This plant looks best when displayed in rooms with dead space, such as a corner.

 

Mother and Daughter Croton

Rare and beautiful, the Mother and Daughter Croton is worth searching for due to its stunning foliage. The long leaves are deep green or dark purple, splashed with yellow. A thin stem extends from its slender leaves (the mother), leading to a new leaflet (the daughter).

 

Mrs. Iceton Croton

One of the more delicate Croton Plants, Mrs. Iceton Croton has paper-like leaves that range from yellow to red. With proper care, this stunning indoor plant can reach six feet tall. Just like its cousin Superstar Croton, Mrs. Iceton Croton’s height makes it the ideal plant to fill out an area of your house with dead space.

 

Gold Dust Croton

The Gold Dust Croton is one of PlantedPot’s customer favorites! Featuring dark green leaves with shiny yellow gold dots, this is a beautiful plant that is great for beginners. It’s a low-maintenance Croton variety that’s evergreen and easy to grow. It can reach six feet with the proper care, but the process is slow.

 

Petra Croton

This Croton is native to Southeast Asia. It reaches about five feet tall and has large, wide leaves that come in red, yellow, orange, bronze, and green. Put it in a large container in a sunny location. This plant needs warmth to thrive. Thanks to its show-stopping appearance, Petra Croton is one of PlantedPot’s best-selling plants.

 

Eleanor Roosevelt Croton

With long and narrow leaves, the Eleanor Roosevelt is an elegant Croton variety featuring green and purple foliage splattered with golden yellow. Created by Henry Coppinger in the 1920s, this man-made variety reaches about six feet tall with proper care. This Croton is typically an outdoor shrub, but it can thrive indoors in a brightly lit spot.

 

 

Do Mammy Crotons Grow Indoor or Outdoors?

The Croton Mammy Plant is grown both inside and outside. However, it is a tropical plant. You will want to grow your Croton Mammy inside unless you live in a tropical area with the right temperature and humidity level.

 

 

person misting a croton

 

 

General Croton Mammy Care

Croton Mammy Plants are not too difficult to care for but do require some specific things in order to thrive. Let’s take a look at the general care for a Croton Mammy.

 

Light Exposure and Watering

This isn’t a Croton Plant that you can ignore for days at a time. Croton Plants are tropical, meaning they prefer full sun. Mammies placed directly under sunlight will have more vibrant leaves.

 

This plant also prefers moist soil. The potting soil must drain quickly since the water around the roots can cause root rot and attract pests like spider mites. Let the soil become slightly dry between watering. If you live somewhere with dry air, your Croton will require more frequent watering.

 

Temperature and Humidity

When it comes to temperature, the Croton Mammy prefers it to be between 55 and 80 degrees. If it’s too hot or too cold, your plant will suffer. The Croton Mammy likes humidity, but average humidity levels will suffice.

 

Pruning

You do not need to trim Croton Plants that often. This variety is slow-growing, so only trim away damaged and diseased leaves. Not only will you improve the look of your plant, but you will allow the remaining leaves to receive more nutrients. Cutting off too many leaves can also send your plant into shock.

 

Repotting

Since the Croton Mammy is a slow-growing plant, you won’t have to repot it that often. When it’s time to repot your Mammy, pick a new pot that’s one size larger than the old pot. When pots are too big, the plant tends to grow roots even faster. Only repot when you notice the roots are too squished in its current pot, or you see them extending through the drainage holes.

 

Indoor Growing Tips 

Are you looking to grow your Croton Mammy indoors? Place them under a window that receives full sun for several hours a day. Too much direct sunlight can damage their leaves, so cover them up during the hottest part of the day.

 

As indoor plants, the Croton Mammy isn’t too picky about temperature. The average temperatures we usually enjoy are perfect for the Croton Mammy. Keep them away from doors, radiators, and heating vents. For humidity, the Croton Mammy wouldn’t mind a humidifier.

 

Potting soil should contain perlite, sphagnum peat moss, coconut coir, and compost. This well-draining soil mixture will ensure the Croton Mammy doesn’t become too soggy. The pot should also have proper drainage.

 

The Croton Mammy is not poisonous, but you should keep it in a spot away from children. The sap inside, which can appear when a leaf is pulled off, can cause irritation. Some people even have allergic reactions. Don’t eat parts of the Mammy Croton. This can lead to nausea due to the sap.

 

Outdoor Growing Tips 

Check the USDA hardiness zones if you want to grow your Croton Mammy outside. This is a plant that can only grow in hot, humid, tropical areas of the United States. You may need to bring your Croton Mammy indoors during colder months. To create humidity, grow plants closer together. But don’t plant them too close. Also, keep an eye on pests like spider mites.

 

 

Final Thoughts – Croton Mammy

The Croton Mammy is unlike any other plant. Its leaves grow upright in a whimsical corkscrew shape, featuring bright, colorful foliage. To keep your Croton Mammy bright and beautiful, make sure you keep the soil slightly moist, provide it with a pot with proper drainage, and make sure it gets enough sunlight.

 

Are you looking for a healthy, exotic Croton Plant to add to your home? Planted Pot has a stunning collection of Crotons to beautify your living space. Whether it’s the magnificent Croton Gold Dust or the eye-catching Croton Petra, our shop has these and other exotic plants for your home. Head on over to our shop to get your hands on these beauties before they’re all sold out!

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