The croton has leathery leaves in green, pink, red, yellow and orange. Often, one single plant can have leaves with different colours. Colours can change as the plant ages. Requiring a minimum of 4 hours of direct sun each day, it is a plant that can be difficult to grow and keep healthy. The soil should be evenly moist and the plant protected from drafts or overly warm temperatures. The leaves will drop if the soil is too dry or too wet. These are plants which only survive outdoors where temperatures do not normally drop below 10°C in winter. In colder climates, the plants are grown in greenhouses or as house plants. 'Oakleaf' bears new leaves that are light green with yellow veins and, sometimes, yellow margins. Older leaves can be any combination of burgundy, orange, yellow, green, and red, often with prominently red veins
