Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Woolly Croton - Croton capitatus   Michaux
Members of Euphorbiaceae:
Members of Croton with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Euphorbiales » Family Euphorbiaceae
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AuthorMichaux
DistributionScattered from Anson and Durham counties southeast to the southern barrier islands.

Native of the U.S. from OH to NE south to AL and TX; records east of the Appalachians are considered adventive by FNA and Weakley (2018).
AbundanceRare, but likely more numerous than records indicate.
HabitatBorrow pit, sandy field, edge of cornfield, sandy roadside, back dunes near saltmarsh.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting July-October.
IdentificationWoolly Croton is a relatively robust annual, reaching 2 or more feet tall. Leaves are well-spaced, long-stalked, elliptical to lanceolate, without marginal teeth, both sides stellate-pubescent and without silvery scales; the leaves are quite glaucous pale green in color. The large leaf blades are about 2 times the size of C. lindheimerianus, C. monanthogynus, and C. punctatus. This is the main foodplant of the Goatweed Leafwing butterfly, even eastward into SC, where the plant is supposedly not native.
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankG5
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US Status
USACE-agcp
USACE-emp
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B.A. SorrieEdge of cropfield, Camp Easter Road, June 2010. MoorePhoto_non_natural
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