Introduction, need ID's

bluesea

Member
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02/11/13
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Hi, I'm Russ Hammer in Sanford/Lake Mary area, basically the 'cold north' compared to most of the folks on this forum I have major collections of
aroids and sansevierias, collecting since the mid-1970s. I've had a small collection of codiaeums for many years, member of the Croton Society for some years altho I think I've accidentally let it expire... gotta rejoin ASAP.

I visited my parents yesterday in Cocoa Beach and on the way I dropped by Rockledge Nursery on US 1. Found a number of nice crotons there that
had no labels but I was assured by attendants that they were named varieties. Anyone know who the croton supplier is for Rockledge Gardens? Must have a nice collection based on available varieties there, it'd be nice to know a croton-head locally if they're in fact in my area.

I bought some unnamed crotons some years ago from the Croton Society booth at either USF at Tampa or Selby Botanic Garden. Some names are obvious, like Ovalifolium, Franklin Roosevelt, but other IDs have confounded me. I'll attempt to post pics.

Some of you in the south may have heard of my brother, Roger Hammer, a long-time naturalist for Date County.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any ID's you can provide, nice to know all of you.

Russ
 

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Russ - Welcome to the group here. The Croton Society that you knew is gone and its assets were disbursed to several botanical gardens. So this on-line group is IT! Note the gala get-together next weekend at the Glock's in Ft. Meyers. Some old faces from the Croton Society will be there along with a lot of new ones.

Best guess on the croton in your pic is Caution Light (which is easily confused with a green and yellow sport from Duke of Windsor). Check out the photos in the Wiki.
 
Russ - Welcome to the group here. The Croton Society that you knew is gone and its assets were disbursed to several botanical gardens. So this on-line group is IT! Note the gala get-together next weekend at the Glock's in Ft. Meyers. Some old faces from the Croton Society will be there along with a lot of new ones.

Best guess on the croton in your pic is Caution Light (which is easily confused with a green and yellow sport from Duke of Windsor). Check out the photos in the Wiki.

Thanks for the possible ID Phil, as well as the welcome. I'll check out Wiki. I wasn't aware the Croton Society is history, guess that's why I was never alerted that my membership expired. Glad to see someone has picked up the slack, this group is doing a great job.

Here are a few more photos for ID.

Pic 2 and 3 are of one plant, 4 and 5 are a different plant, 6 is of another one. I've thought these three were all the same variety but not sure. It's possible 6 is a propagation from one of the others, memory isn't so good anymore.

Russ
 

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Welcome,those are some nice plants,the first pics could be something in the General Macarthur complex??That is a weak guess since General Macarthur always gives me problems due to the variability of this variety.

Thanks for the possible ID Phil, as well as the welcome. I'll check out Wiki. I wasn't aware the Croton Society is history, guess that's why I was never alerted that my membership expired. Glad to see someone has picked up the slack, this group is doing a great job.

Here are a few more photos for ID.

Pic 2 and 3 are of one plant, 4 and 5 are a different plant, 6 is of another one. I've thought these three were all the same variety but not sure. It's possible 6 is a propagation from one of the others, memory isn't so good anymore.

Russ
 
Welcome,those are some nice plants,the first pics could be something in the General Macarthur complex??That is a weak guess since General Macarthur always gives me problems due to the variability of this variety.

Thanks for the note, I'll put ''possible Gen Macarthur complex'' on my label.

First two pics are another unidentified croton, bought at Croton Society sale booth many years ago.

Last two pics are of a plant recently bought at Rockledge Gardens in Rockledge, south of Cocoa. I was assured their crotons are named varieties but no labels.

Thanks for any replies as to IDs.

Russ
 

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Thanks for the note, I'll put ''possible Gen Macarthur complex'' on my label.

First two pics are another unidentified croton, bought at Croton Society sale booth many years ago.

Last two pics are of a plant recently bought at Rockledge Gardens in Rockledge, south of Cocoa. I was assured their crotons are named varieties but no labels.

Thanks for any replies as to IDs.

Russ

Couple more here. First one looks like 'Pictum' in Dr. Brown's book, this is from Walmart and seems to be a small grower.

Next two pics is an unidentified croton, probably bought at Croton Soc sale booth years ago.

I am retired Air Force, THANK YOU for your service to any veterans here.

Thanks, Russ

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Couple more here. First one looks like 'Pictum' in Dr. Brown's book, this is from Walmart and seems to be a small grower.

Next two pics is an unidentified croton, probably bought at Croton Soc sale booth years ago.

I am retired Air Force, THANK YOU for your service to any veterans here.

Thanks, Russ

This one looks like Golden Glow in Dr. Brown's book, opinions welcome.
Russ

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Hi Russ, welcome to the forum. Hope you can come to the Glock's this Saturday so we can meet you. I am relatively new, so take my guesses with a grain of salt.

Number 2 and 3-General MacArthur
First two in post #5 is Majesticum
First in post #6 is Freckles
First in post #7 is Golden Glow

Please continue to post. Our wiki is a great resource, so you can go through and see many cultivars. Welcome again! Ana
 
Hi Russ, welcome to the forum. Hope you can come to the Glock's this Saturday so we can meet you. I am relatively new, so take my guesses with a grain of salt.

Number 2 and 3-General MacArthur
First two in post #5 is Majesticum
First in post #6 is Freckles
First in post #7 is Golden Glow

Please continue to post. Our wiki is a great resource, so you can go through and see many cultivars. Welcome again! Ana

Hi Ana, good to know you and thank you for the possible IDs. I had Majesticum in mind for my unidentified narrow-leaved croton, but after
looking at examples of Picturatum in Wiki it looks more like that plant. Maybe someone else can chime in and help decide.

Visit to the Glock's is definitely something I'd like to do, but I have low-back problems right now and may need surgery --- don't know if I could handle the drive from the Sanford/Lake Mary area. I'm assuming two hours or more one-way, I'll check exactly where she lives and look at driving time.

Thanks, Russ
 
Welcome Russ - I believe that the first croton in post number 6 is Pinocchio. Freckles has a larger leaf.

I'm an Air Force brat, born on the base in Orlando that is no longer there ...
 
Russ,

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear about your back problems, I had back surgery less than 2 years ago, and cured the problem. ( Knock on wood ) Good luck with yours.

And thank you very much for your service, my son Travis served 3 years in the army, one in Iraq. Just got out recently.

Hope some day you can join us all, it really is a great group of people and lots of fun when we gather for a croton tour and auction.

Jeff
 
Welcome Russ - I believe that the first croton in post number 6 is Pinocchio. Freckles has a larger leaf.

I'm an Air Force brat, born on the base in Orlando that is no longer there ...

Thanks a lot for that possible ID, Pinocchio, I'll try to find some pics of that variety. I was also born in Orlando but I forget exactly where, but since my father was in the Air Force at the time I may have been born at the old Navy base.

Good to know you! I certainly envy all of you living in south Fla, it's way too cold for me up here in the wastelands north of Orlando. Maybe I can move down that way someday.

I keep looking for vintage crotons when I drive through the old neighborhoods in 'historic' Sanford, so far I haven't seen anything other than Petra-types.

Here is a random seedling that started out with dull red and green leaves, but has now put on these leaves. I don't know the parents, but my collection is small at around 20 varieties, all clustered together. I suspect one parent might be one that has been possibly ID'd as Caution Light.
Are there named hybrids similar to this?? If so, I'll probably destroy this one. I'm growing out many other seedlings.

Russ
 

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Russ,

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear about your back problems, I had back surgery less than 2 years ago, and cured the problem. ( Knock on wood ) Good luck with yours.

And thank you very much for your service, my son Travis served 3 years in the army, one in Iraq. Just got out recently.

Hope some day you can join us all, it really is a great group of people and lots of fun when we gather for a croton tour and auction.

Jeff

Glad to hear of your successful back surgery Jeff. I seem to be a bit better since I've stopped physical therapy, less sciatic pain. Maybe that was irritating rather than helping as far as pain level. Back surgery is definitely rolling the dice, I've heard success stories and failure, and in-between.
Great that Travis returned from Iraq, hopefully unscathed. My military days seem so long ago, what am I thinking... they WERE long ago... 1962 to 1983.

Talked to my brother Roger in Homestead today, he said that the owner of Ree Gardens mentioned seeing my posts here about crotons. Next time
I'm down there we're going to Ree's and peruse the crotons, I'm sure there'll be varieties I can't live without. Roger's not big on crotons, has talked about a particular scale that is a huge problem with them in south Fla. How are members here dealing with this scale??
Russ
 
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