Why Do Croton Leaves Turn Yellow? [ Know The Reasons ]

Crotons are exotic tropical plants that bear wonderfully vibrant leaves of many colors like red, burgundy, yellow, orange, green, brown, and purple.

They are tailor-made for indoor home décor and ideal for adding that extra bit of finesse to your gardens or walkways.

Crotons are mostly easy to maintain and give their owners a hassle-free nurturing experience.

But absolute lax attention to these peppy plants can prove to be troublesome for their health and appearance.

Let’s take a sneak peek into how to take care of your Croton plants as we go through the reasons as to why they might lose their luster and the dos and don’ts of nourishing them with proper supervision.

Why do Croton Leaves Turn Yellow?

Poor care of your Crotons might lead to multiple complications in the plants. Crotons show symptoms of ill-health by dropping their leaves, wilting.

But one of the early symptoms of their ill-health surfaces is when discoloration of their leaves starts to happen and their leaves turn yellow.

There is more than one reason for Croton leaves to turn yellow. Here are some reasons why your Croton leaves might be turning yellow or losing leaves:

1. Underwatering

A Croton plant does not require an excessive amount of water to thrive in its full glory, which often leads to a lack of attention in its owners to water them properly. Underwatering leads to Croton leaves turning yellow and sometimes even dying or dropping off.

2. Low Humidity

Exposure to less humid surroundings can trigger the yellowing of Croton leaves. They originate from warm and tropical regions, which are usually rich in humidity. They naturally adapt to thrive well in humid climates, in a short absence of which Croton leaves start to turn yellow.

3. Overwatering

Excess watering of your Croton causes stress in the plant and might lead to yellowing of its leaves. These plants are best for a moderate amount of watering. Too much watering does more harm than good to these plants.

Also read:

A step by step guide to reviving a croton plant

4. Too Much Sun

Exposure to too much direct and intense sunlight can cause Croton leaves to turn yellow or grow faint in color. It happens to be a well-established fact that Crotons enjoy a lot of sunlight, but too much exposure to intense sunlight does significant damage to the plant and its leaves.

5. Low Light Levels

Crotons might start to lose coloration of their leaves in low light levels. They usually enjoy a substantial amount of bright sunlight. Crotons do thrive in partial shade, but an excess of shade might turn out to be detrimental to their health and deplete the quality of their foliage.

6. Extreme Low Temperatures

Crotons are plants of tropical origin and require a substantial amount of warmth to thrive well. Subjecting them to harshly cold temperatures (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit) should be avoided. It would help if you protected them from such atrociously low temperatures.

7. Excess usage of fertilizers

Too much use of chemical fertilizers happens to be one of the first reasons for weakening the Croton leaves’ vibrant colors and actively promoting yellowing.

8. Overtly Moist Soil

Excess moisture in the soil might give rise to various complications in a Croton plant. Discoloration of leaves is just the beginning; too much water in the soil might lead to root rot which can turn fatal for the plant.

Should You Cut Off the Yellow Leaves from Your Croton?

Commonly when yellow leaves are noticed on plants, they are clipped off as they are a sign of ill-health or them dying. In Crotons, however, the leaves change color over time.

Usually, when a Croton plant bears new leaves, they are green in color.

They gradually turn yellow before turning into a darker and more prominent shade of the characteristic color specific to its kind.

So, if the leaves of your Croton plant are turning yellow, there is no need for them to be clipped off.

Then again, if the Croton leaves that have turned yellow stay yellow for a long period of time, it would mean that the plant is being subjected to any one of the eight reasons stated earlier.

Even if the plant’s ill health happens to be a reason for its leaves to turn yellow, you need not chop them off.

Analyze what you have been doing wrong and resume proper treatment of your Crotons instead.

How to Prevent Your Croton Leaves from Turning Yellow Again?

Here are a few ways in which you can prevent your Croton leaves from turning yellow again and keep them colorful:

Crotons are tropical plants that require a lot of sunlight. Always place your Crotons in well-lit locations. Make sure that the plant is well shielded from the intense heat of the midday sun. The more exposure to healthy bright sunlight, the deeper the color will prevent their foliage from turning yellow or dying out again.
In terms of exposure to sunlight, make sure that the Crotons with red or orange leaves are not exposed to an excess of sunlight. These ones generally do not like being out there in the sun throughout the day and require some shade from the scorching midday sun. If exposed to the sun all day, the color of their leaves starts to fade.
Make sure that you plant or locate the Crotons in a place where there is sufficient humidity. They like humid surroundings, and a lack of it will make the leaves look dull, and a prolonged detachment from humidity will lead to discoloration and wilting. Mist the plant regularly if you are an inhabitant of an arid region with low humidity. It helps in recreating the environment in which they thrive the best.
Watering your Crotons regularly is a must. Water them slowly to make sure that the soil absorbs the water proficiently. Pots with drainage holes should be preferred so that the soil can drain the excess water easily. If the soil retains too much water and stays soggy, the roots of the Crotons may start to rot.
Fill some water in the tray in which the pot is placed. This way when the plant needs some extra hydration, it will absorb water from the tray automatically. This also aids in keeping the plant’s surroundings moister and reduces the chances of yellowing of its leaves to a large extent.

A well-nourished plant is always a colorful plant.

Make sure that you nourish your Croton with ample fertilizers and compost. Be careful about over-fertilizing, as this will do more harm to the planet than good. It is advisable to use liquid fertilizers or slow-acting pallets; these work the best with Croton plants.
Underwatering can also pose a great deal of threat to your Croton’s health. These plants do not require a large amount of water to survive well, but an optimum watering level is very necessary. Avoid being callous about watering these plants. Underwatering can make Crotons lose the color of their leaves and promote yellowing. Make sure your Croton is getting enough water regularly.
Crotons are tropical plants. Naturally, they require a lot of warmth to thrive well. These plants cannot tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you’re an inhabitant of a very cold region, keep the plant indoors and preferably in the proximity of a heater. Ample heat allows Crotons to stay healthy and maintain their vibrant foliage and prevents chances of decoloration.
Avoid keeping your Crotons in shady regions of your living space. Exposure to low light levels can cause yellowing or decoloration of their leaves and is not healthy for these plants.

Conclusion:

The leaves of the Croton plant are its most alluring feature. They make the plant distinctive from the other plants in your garden or living space.

Their leaves are glorious, and the care required to keep them in their best look is minimal.

They only desire decent exposure to the sun, abundant moisture, and ample watering.

Treat them with these minimum amenities, and they will reward you with the most splendid foliage that will brighten up your home or garden with color.

If you have Croton plants at your place or are planning to get one soon, and you are looking for ways to nourish and maintain them well, this article will surely help!