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Capitate Croton

Croton capitatus (KROH-ton kap-ih-TAY-tus)

Family: Euphorbiaceae Native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Hogwort is a warm-season, annual, broadleaf weed in the spurge family (Euphrobiaceae) with erect, stout, usually single-branched stems covered with star-shaped white or rusty brown, woolly hairs. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 6 inches wide with grayish-green, fuzzy leaves and small, inconspicuous white male and female flowers. This plant is native to the central and eastern United States and is rare in North Carolina, but may be under-reported. It is weedy in disturbed areas such as fields, pastures, roadsides, and prairies. Prefers full sun and well-drained to dry loam, sand, or rock soils. Propagated by seeds. Hogwort is a host plant for two types of butterflies. Its seeds provide food for ground-feeding birds, such as doves, wild turkey, and quail. The male and female flowers are not showy and appear on the same spike-like raceme, blooming from July to September. The male flowers are at the top of the raceme and have five petals, five sepals, and 10 to 14 stamens. The female flowers are the base of the raceme and are apetalous with 5 to 10 sepals and a single ovary. All parts of this plant have dense, short, stellate hairs. Hogwort is a warm-season annual weed that may volunteer in the garden or flower beds, but it is usually not aggressive. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Hogwort is toxic if ingested by livestock, humans, or pets. Protective gloves and clothing are recommended when handling this plant due to skin irritation and eye irritation.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 62 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Euphorbia hirta Euphorbia maculata Robinia pseudoacacia

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Native Plant; Poisonous
Life cycle
Annual
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Velvety
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves are grayish-green, fuzzy, simple with wavy margins. They are oval to lance-shaped, measuring 1 to 4 inches long and 1/4 to 3/4 inches wide. The base is rounded, and the apex is blunt. The underside of the leaf appears paler, but both sides of the leaf are covered with dense stellate hairs. Crushed leaves are aromatic.
Flower color
Insignificant; White
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers form dense clusters on spike-like racemes at the stem tips. There are male and female flowers on the same stem. The male flowers are situated at the tip of the stem, and the female flowers are toward the base. Five tiny white petals and 10 to 14 stamens form the male flower. The female flower has no petals, 5 to 10 sepals, and a single ovary. Blooms from July to September.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruits are hairy spherical capsules. Each capsule measures about ¼ inch wide and splits open to release 3 round or oblong seeds.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
The stems are stout, erect, branched, and covered with light brown, woolly hairs
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central & Eastern United States
Distribution
Native: AL, AR, DE, DC, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MD, MA, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, and WV. Introduced: New South Wales and Ontario
Wildlife value
Seeds are important dove, wild turkey and quail food. Attracts butterflies and is larva host to Gray Hairstreaks and Goatweed Leafwing
Attracts
Butterflies
Play value
Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule

Edibility

Toxic if ingested by livestock, humans, horses, and pets. The plant needs to be destroyed in areas where animals may graze.

Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Native Garden
Garden tags
#poisonous #NC native #quail #summer flowers #problem for horses #wild turkeys #bird friendly #larval host plant #annual #wildlife friendly #weedy #dry soils tolerant #problem for dogs #annual weed #warm season weed #problem for cats #weed #poisonous if ingested #problem for cattle #problem for children #broadleaf
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Weedy
Resistant to
Deer
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Bark; Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES ARE EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Vomiting, diarrhea, colic, nervousness, and skin irritation with blisters. Fatal poisoning is rare.
Toxic principle
Croton oil
Contact dermatitis
Yes
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Bark; Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; Stems; contact dermatitis

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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