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Eleanor Roosevelt, Sloppy Painter

​Codiaeum variegatum

• ​Common name: Croton, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sloppy Painter
  
• Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum
  
• Family name: Euphorbiaceae
  
• Origin: Indonesia
  
• Height: 4-6 ft
  
• Width: 4-6 ft
  
• Growth: Slow
  
• Zone: 9b-11
  
• Light needs: Full sun to partial shade
  
• Salt tolerance: Moderate
  
• Soil/pH/Texture: Can grow in many soil types as long as its well-drained. Prefers acidic soil (pH 4.5 – 6.5)
  
• Moisture: Humidity tolerant; should be watered regularly, but not overwatered
  
• Drought tolerance: High
  
• Pests/diseases: Mealybugs, scale, and thrips; mites and crown gall
  
• Growing conditions: Should be grown in moist and well-drained soil in sunny areas. Can be grown both indoors or outdoors. Indoors plants should be planted in a medium of peat moss and sand. This plant can be fertilized with a 3-1-2 ratio fertilizer to produce the best results.
  
• Characteristics: Leaves are long, narrow, thick, and glossy. The leaves are a saturated medium-green with yellow spots in a pattern that resembles paint splotches. Leaf color becomes brighter with more sun exposure. Leaves grow outwards radially from a central, woody stem.
  
• Propagation: By cuttings
  
• Facts: ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’ is one of many Croton cultivars. Other cultivars include ‘Zanzibar’ and ‘Petra’ and range from green to red in color.
  
• Designer considerations: Great as an accent or foundation plant, for mass plantings, or as an indoor plant.
  

Eleanor Roosevelt, Sloppy Painter