WOW! Nothing beats crotons for foliage color! Anyone tried 'Dreadlocks' yet? Thanks for sharing these amazing pictures.

Dreadlocks has been around for 5 or 6 years. Not very cold tolerant and it goes to mostly yellow and green in the full sun. I've two in the ground, here's the one on the north side of the house that's survived 3 hurricanes. (In between the two Ixora.)

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Ricky, your pictures make me remember how beautiful tropical gardens are in south Florida. Your yard looks just fantastic! I hope to make it to a swap at your house one day so I can see all these wonderful plants in person, especially your colorful crotons! Thanks for sharing the pics. They are just super!

Marcia

Since we're on the subject of crotons...

I have some mamey crotons that I don't know how to properly care for. I've done nothing to them and they look pretty healthy, which is good, but I'm wondering if it would be better to trim them back a little each year. To make them bushier instead of tall and slender. And, I'm wondering if I can root the cuttings I get from trimming them back. Any ideas?

nativemel - wait a few months, until the weather gets colder, and then cut them back hard. You won't be able to root the cuttings in the cold weather, but you will get bushier plants.

Ricky, where the heck are you managing to fins space for any new plants?? You are an amazing gardener!

cindee - Most of the new space comes from lifting the older trees and reducing the new growth on the Areca clumps. Also, I'm not growing as many plants as I used to, so all the space that was taken up by pots has become available.

Ricky,

What do you use for fertilizer and do you amend the holes before planting?
Thanks
JG

P.S. Great shots!

junglegal - I use 12-6-8 with minors (also called 'Florida Palm Special') - one 50 pound bag, twice a year.

And I no longer dig holes. I just scrape back the mulch, put the plant on the ground from the pot, and mound up to it with a mix of topsoil and pine fines. Then I push the mulch back and the job is done.

Guapo, I am growing "dreadlocks" as standards in front of the columns of my house. They are doing very well. But at the thought of a cold night they get a blanket. ;o)

Oh I like that "Miami". Very pretty!
Betsy

Ricky, are you a croton hybridizer(among your many other talents)? They're beautiful.

Like dreadlocks, one of the crotons you gave me was multicolored and has turned bright yellow with some green. Do many crotons turn yellow / green in bright sun?

wrf - Nature hybridized "Miami", this is not uncommon. Most of the time a crossbreed between two varieties will produce something totally different but with characteristics of both. However, most Croton seedlings never gain any color other than green. Remind me to point out some of the 50 or so Croton seedlings that have popped up in my garden.

And yes - sunlight will take many Crotons from red and orange to yellow and green. The trick is finding a spot that has either hard morning or hard afternoon sunlight, shade at noon, to get the best color mix.

Those are gorgeous, Ricky.
Can't wait to visit you and your yard again in November.

And I want to thank you for the FDR and Eleanor R. They are spectacular!

Treefrog

Hmm...

I'm suffering from CROTON LUST again! Too bad I live in NY again and can't have them as magnificent specimens like I did in Melbourne!

Thanks for the pictures guys!

Ooo...Dreadlocks as a standard...that sounds really cool!

Ricky,

What are pine fines? I don't think I've ever seen them. Would pine needles mixed in the soil do the same?

Pine fines are pine bark that's been chopped really fine. Pine needles would work just as well.