Codiaeum variegatum (L.) A. Juss

Common Name: Croton, Garden Croton, Puding, Variegated Croton

Codiaeum variegatum (Croton) is known for its wide range of variation in leaf color, pattern, leaf shape and texture. The foliage color ranges from green variegated with white, pink, orange, red, yellow, or purple in various combinations that may change as the leaves age.
C. variegatum is a perennial with hard woody stems. In addition, this small dense shrub has attractive and captivating bright yellow, red and green leaves. The leaves are thin and long with light yellow, and red spots against a deep green. They are a solid lighter color near the center of the leaf. The captivating and unique colors of the croton make it an ideal choice to liven up any garden.
An erect evergreen shrub with thick, large, leathery, glossy leaves that display an array of colours. Leaves simple, alternate, 5 to 30 cm long and 0.5 to 8 cm wide, leathery; leaf form is highly diversed in shapes and colours, depending on the cultivar; shapes ranging from linear, linear-lanceolate, oblong, elliptic, lanceolate, ovate, spatulate, fiddle-shaped to obovate, sometimes segregated to midvein into upper and lower parts; colours ranging from green, chartreuse, yellow, burgundy, purple-red, to pink, sometimes speckled with coloured spots or stripes of spots; petiole 0.2 to 2.5 cm long. Stems glabrous, multi-branched, with prominent leaf scars. inflorescences star-shaped, inconspicuous, on 8 to 30 cm long arching racemes, with male and female flowers on separate inflorescences; Male flowers white, pedicels delicate, petals 5, stamens 20 to 30; Female flowers yellow, pedicels slightly thickened, petals absent, sepals ovate-triangular, styles recurved. Fruit capsules subglobose, slightly flattened, glabrous, brown, 9 mm in diameter, seeds 3; seeds 6 mm.