1 / 10

Croton californicus

California croton

Euphorbiaceae

California, Baja California, and southwestern US

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Croton californicus, California croton, is a low, soft-wooded subshrub of the spurge family, native to California, Baja California, and the southwestern deserts, reaching 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall and spreading wider. The whole plant is grey-green to silvery, coated in tiny star-shaped (stellate) hairs that give the leaves a scurfy, felted surface. The narrow, oblong leaves are 0.5-2 inches (1.3-5 cm) long. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants and are small, greenish, and without petals, appearing over much of the warm season and followed by small three-lobed capsules. C. californicus grows on coastal dunes, sandy flats, and desert washes, spreading by rhizomes into loose patches. It tolerates heat, drought, salt spray, and shifting sand, and helps stabilize dunes. The milky, acrid sap can irritate skin and is reported to be toxic to grazing animals.

Native Range

Native to California, Baja California, and the southwestern United States, including Arizona and Nevada. It grows on coastal dunes, sandy flats, desert washes, and disturbed sandy ground, often near the coast or in arid interior basins.

Suggested Uses

Used in dune restoration, coastal and desert native plantings, and erosion control on loose sand. Its drought and salt tolerance suit harsh, sandy sites where few plants hold. It also serves as a larval host plant for some native butterflies and moths.

How to Identify

Identify it by a low, silvery-grey subshrub whose narrow leaves are densely coated in star-shaped hairs, giving a scurfy, felted feel. The small greenish flowers lack petals and occur on separate male and female plants. The stellate hairs and dioecious flowers separate it from desert spurges and other grey-leaved shrubs of the same dunes.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'

Width/Spread2' - 4'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~24 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Small, greenish, petalless flowers appear over much of the warm season, roughly spring through fall, on separate male and female plants. The flowers are inconspicuous, with male and female plants needed for seed. Three-lobed capsules ripen through summer and fall.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

silvery grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 8.0(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in full sun on loose, fast-draining sandy or gravelly soil; it is adapted to dunes, desert sand, and coastal exposure. Water sparingly once established, as the plant is drought-tolerant and rots in rich, moist, or poorly drained ground. It needs no fertilizer in lean soil and spreads slowly by rhizomes to form patches. Hardy in mild, frost-light climates, it dies back in hard freezes. The acrid, milky sap can irritate skin, so handling is kept to a minimum. Propagation is from seed or by dividing rhizomatous pieces.

Pruning

Pruning is seldom needed. A light cutback in late winter removes frost-damaged or straggly stems and keeps the patch compact. Spreading rhizomes are trimmed at the edges to limit the patch where space is tight.