The Croton Society, Tampa, Florida

<body bgcolor="#008000"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#FFFFCE"> <img border="0" src="images/BlotchedBryantLogo.gif" width="654" height="60" alt="The Croton Society"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="670"> <tr> <td> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px"> <a style="font-family: Arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none" href="about-croton-society.htm"> About the Croton Society</a> | <a style="font-family: Arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none" href="benefits.htm">Benefits of Joining</a> | <a style="font-family: Arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none" href="croton-meeting.htm">Next Meeting Time & Place</a>  |  <a href="croton-membership.htm">Croton Membership</a><br> <a style="font-family: Arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none" href="croton_info.htm">Croton Information</a> | <a style="font-family: Arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none" href="croton-propagation.htm">Beginners Tips for Propagation</a> | <a style="font-family: Arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none" href="gallery.htm"> Croton Photo Gallery</a></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h4>Croton Society Information</h4> <p>The <a href="about-croton-society.htm">Croton Society</a> is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the introduction, propagation and distribution of new Croton species, improved varieties and sports of Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) plants. Through our quarterly meetings, seminars and field trips, we collect and share <a href="croton_info.htm">croton information</a> regarding <a href="croton-propagation.htm">propagation</a> techniques, growth characteristics, cold and salt tolerances, and other environmental requirements. The objectives of this Society are to promote interest through education, research and development of the plant Codiaeum vareigatum of the Euphorbia family (Croton). </p> <h4>Benefits of Croton Society Membership</h4> <p>Members exchange and auction cuttings, air layers and young plants at <a href="croton-meeting.htm">Croton Society meetings</a> or among themselves. Our goal is to make more varieties of Crotons readily available. Members receive a quarterly newsletter and a colorful calendar each year. New members have the opportunity to purchase Dr. B. Frank's book, Crotons of the World, at the reduced price of $20.00. Many of the members are specialists in specific varieties of Crotons, and are eager to share this knowledge with others.</p> <h4>Croton Information</h4> <p>Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) <br> Family: Euphorbiaceae</p> <p>Crotons with their colorful, glossy foliage and variation of leaf types are one of the most popular plants in Florida. It is a native of the tropics from Java to Australia and the South Sea Islands, and because of its susceptibility to cold injury, is restricted to the southern and warmer parts of central Florida. Cold injury normally shows as leaf dropping soon after periods of cold weather.</p> <h4>Major leaf types</h4> <p>Broad Leaf Crotons - large and broad leaves <br> Oak Leaf Crotons - mimics perfectly the structure of a true oak leaf. <br> Semi-oak Leaf Crotons - indistinctly lobed; many varieties. <br> Spiral Leaf - leaves are twisted - RH, LH, partial. <br> Narrow Leaf - width is 2-4" and length is usually 2-4 x width. <br> Very Narrow Leaf - width is usually 1/2" or less; long and droopy. <br> Small Leaf - orignal shape; length about 2" max. <br> Interupted Leaf - leaf blade stops; midrib continues for about 1"; leaf blade continues. <br> Recurved Leaf - leaves curl back on themselves; scarcest leaf type. </p> <h4>Pruning Information</h4> <p>Crotons may be pruned heavily during spring or other mild periods of the year. Crotons may attain a height of 8-10 feet , and tend to produce the heaviest foliage at the top of the plant. It is wise to cut back rather heavily to force new foliage lower down on the stem. It is best to prune about one-third of the branches, then wait until new growth has started before pruning again. This keeps the plant more uniform in shape and more attractive during the pruning process. Pinching out the tips of Crotons will encourage multi-branching and therefor a more attractive, fuller specimen. </p> <h4>Propagation Information</h4> <p>Crotons are easily <a href="croton-propagation.htm">propagated</a> from greenwood cuttings, leaf bud cuttings, or if plants are desired quickly, by air layering. Make your cuttings from 4-12 inches in length and insert them in sand or peat, or in a mixture of the two, for rooting. In air layering, a ring of bark is removed from the branch to be layered, from two cuts spaced from one-half to one inch apart, exposing the wood. The cambium layer, a slight green area immediately underneath the bark, should be completely removed to prevent new bark from forming again rather than roots. Wrap the cut surface with a ball of moist sphagnum moss about as big as a man's fist. The entire ball is then wrapped with plastic film or aluminum foil. The plants will root quickly at the point the cut was made, and after the roots are established, the branch is removed from the parent just below the roots, and planted in a pot or in the garden where it is to grow. </p> <h4>Growing Information</h4> <p>Crotons develop their best leaf colors when planted in shifting sun. Plants placed in shade or semi-shade tend to develop a large amount of green color. Soil should be enriched with compost, muck, or peat moss, and the plants fertilized regularly with a general purpose fertilizer, preferable one that has an high acidic rating, such as an azealea fertilizer. Also, up until September, use of high nitrogen is prfered. After that only use a fertilizer that has more phosphorus and potash. </p> <p>Pests and Diseases</p> <p>Pests: scale, mites, thrips, and root rot diseases.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center">Meeting time and place</h3> <p style="text-align: center">The Croton Society meets quarterly at University of South Florida Botanical Gardens in Tampa, Florida.</p> <p style="text-align: center"><b>Attention Croton Lovers</b><br> Our next meeting will be<br> Announced shortly<br>  </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p align="center"><b>Society Address:</b></p> <address align="center"><b><font size="2">The Croton Society, Inc.<br> P.O. Box 24892 <br> Tampa, Florida 33623-4892<br> USA </font></b> </address> <p> </td> </tr> </table> </body>