What does croton mean?
A croton is a tropical plant celebrated above all for its spectacular foliage. In common usage the term refers to Codiaeum variegatum, a shrub native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific whose thick, glossy leaves are splashed with combinations of green, yellow, orange, red, and purple — colouring that intensifies in bright light. Widely grown as a houseplant and in frost-free gardens, it brings bold, almost painterly colour to interiors and landscapes. Botanists also apply the name to the separate, much larger genus Croton, a member of the spurge family that includes the source of the once-medicinal croton oil. The word derives from Greek krotōn, meaning "tick," a nod to the resemblance some seeds bear to that insect. For gardeners and plant lovers, "croton" is the go-to term when discussing dramatic, multicoloured foliage plants.
nounA croton is any plant of the genus Codiaeum (especially Codiaeum variegatum), a tropical shrub grown for its strikingly colourful, variegated foliage; the name is also applied to plants of the related genus Croton.
- An ornamental tropical shrub of the genus Codiaeum (especially Codiaeum variegatum), cultivated indoors and in gardens for its boldly coloured, variegated leaves.
- A plant of the large genus Croton in the spurge family, which includes sources of croton oil.
"The hotel lobby was brightened by a row of potted crotons, their leaves splashed with red, orange, and yellow."
"She placed a croton on the sunny windowsill, where its scarlet-and-gold leaves caught the afternoon light."
"Croton oil, pressed from the seeds of Croton tiglium, was once used in medicine as a powerful purgative."
Standard English plural; used both for multiple plants and collectively for the group.
"Nurseries often stock a dozen different crotons, each with its own leaf pattern."
The name 'croton' comes from a Greek word meaning 'tick' — because the plant's seeds supposedly resemble those bloodsucking little arachnids.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of croton
The word "croton" comes from Greek krotōn, which originally meant "tick," the small bloodsucking arachnid — the botanist who named the genus was struck by how much its seeds resemble ticks. The name was later extended in horticultural use to the unrelated ornamental genus Codiaeum, whose showy members are what most people now call crotons. The same Greek root also lies behind the name of the ancient southern Italian city of Croton (modern Crotone), famous as the home of the philosopher Pythagoras.
Related word forms
How croton is actually used
"Croton" in everyday gardening contexts almost always refers to Codiaeum variegatum, the popular houseplant, even though botanically that genus is distinct from Croton proper. The word is neutral in register but tends to appear in horticultural, botanical, and interior-decorating writing rather than casual conversation.
Easily confused with croton
Cotton is a soft fibre from the cotton plant used for textiles, whereas a croton is an ornamental tropical shrub prized for its colourful leaves.