Croton linearis

Pineland Croton Croton linearis

Ah, the fabled pineland croton, about which so much has been written.

Rivers change course; lakes are filled in. Sea levels rise and fall, and rise again. Babies are born, live fruitful lives and die of old age.

Through it all the pineland croton has been a mute observer. What a story it could tell, if it could only speak.

	It would say: "I remember before that gas station was there!"
Pineland croton is fairly common in the pinelands of South Florida and the Keys, and down into the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica.
	The flowers, being only about a quarter-inch across, are not especially showy. But they are irresistible to thirsty passersby.
Here is a clouded skipper getting ready for some sips of nectar.
	Leaves have a silvery underside, which gives it a sparkle when the sunshine and the breeze meet on its leaves.
At right is one in a 7-gallon container, about 3' high and 3 'wide.
	It is an informal shrub that you can keep trimmed at 4 feet or less.
A group of them will form a hedge-type barrier that will only need an occasional pruning