Cold drafts or temperature swings
Leaf drop next to a draft or chilly window points to croton's low tolerance for cold and sudden temperature changes.
Diagnosis
Cold drafts or temperature swings
What's happening
Croton is a tropical plant that wants warm, steady temperatures, ideally above 60°F. A cold draft from an exterior door, an air-conditioning vent, or a leaky winter window chills the leaves and triggers the plant to drop them. Repeated swings between warm and cold are even harder on it than one cold night.
How to fix it
Move the plant away from drafty doors, vents, and cold glass to a warm, draft-free spot that stays reliably above 60°F. Keep it clear of both heating vents and air conditioners, since blasts of either dry and stress the leaves. In winter, pull it back from windows at night when the glass gets cold. Once temperatures are stable and warm, the leaf drop should stop and new growth will return.
What fixes it
- A soil moisture meter — A moisture meter helps you keep watering steady while the plant recovers, so dryness doesn't add to the cold stress.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Croton care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this