Do Crotons Like Sun Or Shade? (The Correct Answer)

Do crotons like sun or shade ? Crotons would prefer to have ample sunlight and they hate growing in low light.

Crotons are shrub-type forming sets of plants which can grow up to 5-6 feet in height. They would come up with stunning shades and would add so much grace and glamor to anywhere irrespective of the place you grow them. Further they are tolerant of high humidity levels as well.

Crotons colorful foliage is one of the main highlights of these plants and they would adore the entire space wherever you grow them. It is very easy to look after these plants and if you provide the main growing necessities of them, they would flourish and reward you with fine, attractive plants in return.

Do crotons like sun or shade ?

Crotons are great fans of sunlight. Having said that, there could be certain Crotons which would tolerate partial shade as well.

It is always best to expose the plants to ample sunlight as much as you can so that they can reward you with vividly colored foliage. It is important that they get sufficient sunlight as only then can they become vivid in their color.

Having said that, you need to provide some shade especially during the midday. However, you need to be extra vigilant in providing sufficient sunlight especially when you cultivate them indoors as only then they can maintain their vivid colors.

Keep in mind that extensive sunlight may also cause them to fade their colors. On the other hand, lack of sunlight may cause them to not develop those vibrant vivid colors.

Can crotons grow in the shade?

As aforesaid, Crotons could form in vibrant colors only if you expose them for bright indirect sunlight. They would ideally prefer to have bright indirect sunlight during the day.

However, they can thrive in partial shade during the scorching hours of the day. If you live in a cooler area, you can grow them in full sunlight all day.

Furthermore, you need to keep in mind to acclimate the plants for full sunlight if you had grown them indoors for some time. Unless it would traumatize the plants. Generally speaking Crotons would prefer to have high sunlight and would not prefer to grow in shade throughout.

Light requirement of Crotons

As a whole, Crotons would want plenty of sunlight to perform well. If you have a vibrant colored Croton, you need to provide as much as sunlight you could provide for them. On the other hand, if you have a dark colored Croton, they can survive with some partial shade.

Generally speaking, Crotons need to have at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight on a daily basis to flourish.

So, when you place them indoors, ensure that it is a bright lit place during the most of the day. That said, you need to still ensure that your plants would be secure from intense sunlight though. If you mistakenly expose them for such adverse conditions, it could burn the plants.

Can crotons get too much sun?

Crotons need a lot of light. So, if you have vibrant colored leaves, they can tolerate full sunlight , but not too much sunlight. If you spot your plants tend to lose their color , it literally means they are lacking sufficient sunlight. further chances are that some crotons may tend to blur their colors due to lack of sunlight too.

However if they get excessive sunlight, I suggest you move the plants to a shady spot as unless it would scorch the plants leaves. ultimately it would result in dry crispy leaves.

Many plant lovers find it tricky to provide sufficient sunlight for their houseplants. However, sunlight has a greater impact in maintaining an optimal growth in the croton plants. it is always best to mimic the same conditions they get in their natural habitat when you cultivate them as well.

How much light do croton plants need?

Crotons would ideally wish to have at least 2000 lumens or 1000-foot candles. Duration wise, it is best to provide sunlight for about 6-8 hours daily. That said, you need to provide shields for them, especially during the midday hours of the day.

On the other hand, if the Crotons have a shortage for light, I suggest you make use of artificial light to supplement light. However, the artificial light needs to be full spectrum and comprise enough lumens as well.

The Role Light Plays in Plant Health, Growth, and Why it’s Important?

In simple words, Crotons cannot produce energy if they lack light. If I further elaborate, Crotons cannot conduct photosynthesis. Eventually, it would make the plants grow weak and make them lose their regular color too. Further they may also tend to wilt as well.

The bright light levels

If a particular plant prefers to have bright sunlight, it literally means they need to have as much as light they can have. If I further elaborate, they need to have 2000 to 3000 lumens per square foot.

Croton plants usually have this requirement when it comes to light. However, they would not want direct sunlight and it should only be bright sunlight.

Indirect vs. Direct Light

Both these lighting options would offer more than 2000 lumens or 1000-foot candles light intensity. The light which the plant can obtain from a bright sunny window is equal to this. In addition to that, artificial light that plant bulbs would provide also falls under this category.

The plants which can tolerate these lighting levels would prefer to have bright indirect sunlight. They are not tolerant of direct sunlight and if you expose them to such conditions , it would burn the plants. Crotons fall under this category.

Mixed or Filtered Light

A lighting level which drops below 2000 lemons yet remains in the range of 500-750 lumens would fall under this category. The dark colored crotons which don’t come up with vibrant colors would be a fine example for this. In simple words they would fall in the higher end of mixer light levels.

Low lights

The light under 100-foot candles or 500 lumens fall under this category. Low light level literally means indirect light. Croton plants don’t fall under this category as it would be too low for them.

In fact, even the least colorful crotons would not grow with low light. However the houseplants such as peace lilies, Pothos and Bamboo palms would be fine examples for these.

Signs Your Croton Plant is Receiving Too Much Light

If you expose the plants to too much sunlight, chances are that their green colored leaves may tend to fade and lose the vivid color , however they would still grow healthily. If you come across any situation like this, I suggest you move the plants to a shady spot where they can gain partial shade.

However, before you try to heal these plants, you need to first identify what exactly has caused them to discolor as lapses in other care treatments may also contribute to this condition.

For example, colder temperature , excess watering may also make the croton lose its vibrant color. So, identify the root cause for the discoloration and then act accordingly to recover the plants.

Signs Your Croton Plant isn’t Receiving Enough Light

If your precious croton lacks sufficient sunlight, they would first start to fade their regular green color. In fact they would tend to take a pale green color instead of the regular bright green color.

If the crotons had red and yellow colors, they would also disappear from the plants. Further chances are that you may come across a leaf drop in the plants too. Ultimately it would halt the plants in developing new growths as well.

The Best Light Exposure for Croton Plants Indoors

I suggest placing the plants near bright sunny windows when you grow them indoors as houseplants. It would be the best possible place which you could possibly go for when you cultivate them indoors.

That said, do not place them closer to glass windows as then the sunlight would be too harsh on the plants. Furthermore I suggest rotating the plants on a weekly basis so that the entire plant can gain sufficient sunlight evenly.

What kind of light do croton plants need

Croton plants would prefer to have bright light which is not intense or direct.

Can crotons live indoors happily

If you manage to provide ample sunlight and sufficient heat levels, crotons would make excellent indoor plants. If the outdoor weather gets healthy, you could bring them outdoors too.

How do you know if your crotons are getting sufficient sunlight or not

If your crotons are getting sufficient sunlight levels, you could spot the growing healthily and vigorously. Further they would maintain their regular bright green colors as well.

Wrapping Up

I Hope you got the answer for the question “Do crotons like sun or shade ?”. I try to explain here that croton plants are such dramatic and colorful plants. There are so many crotons and many plant lovers are fans of them due to the exoctic looks they have.

Further, many people tend to grow crotons as great ornamental plants. However improper lighting would make them lose their vivid and vibrant colors.

So, Always provide them bright and indirect sunlight as those conditions would suit them the best. If you wish to enhance the lighting levels indoors, you could consider placing grow lights.

So, if you could provide adequate sunlight for crotons, it is absolutely worth trying growing them indoors. To wind up i hope, this article was helpful for you.