Alabama croton (Croton alabamensis) is a southeastern native that is rare in the wild and also difficult to find in plant nurseries. But it’s worth the quest. It is a loose, open, semi-deciduous shrub, reaching around 6 feet in height with a spreading, mounding habit.

The foliage is bright-green above and silvery below, with the older leaves turning a showy pumpkin-orange in the fall. The foliage is also quite fragrant, described as resembling apples or bananas. The small, yellow-green flowers are similar to those of poinsettia (minus the large colorful bracts), and both plants belong to the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).

Other shared characteristics include milky sap and relative immunity from deer damage. Alabama croton tolerates some degree of neglect and dryness, but semi-shade with moist but well-drained organic soils are optimal conditions. Your biggest challenge in cultivating this plant will be keeping more aggressive shrubs and vines from overgrowing it.

—Tom Glasgow