Prairie-tea Croton

Croton monanthogynus

Native to South Carolina (estimated)

Photographs are not available yet.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

9CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC

Genus host records with ranges including SC · Croton

Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Oxydia vesuliaSpurge Spanworm Moth
Seirarctia echoEcho Moth
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Xylophanes tersaTersa Sphinx

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

13BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Croton

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Croton

Perdita crotonis

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

20BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Croton

Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Anthus spragueiiSprague's Pipit
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Cardinalis sinuatusPyrrhuloxia
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Francolinus francolinusBlack Francolin
Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush

Show all 20

Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

1AntsRecorded seed interactions

Pogonomyrmex barbatus

Pogonomyrmex barbatus: Seed predation.

No records yet · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Euphorbiaceae
Flower color: White

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “White” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 2 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Annual” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia
primary_flower_color · “white” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

One Seeded Croton; Prairie Tea; Prairie tea Croton

Conservation status

South Carolina rank	Not available
Global rank	G5
SC status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your spot?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources