States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaFloridaVirginia
Menu

Prairie-tea Croton

Croton monanthogynus

Found in limestone outcrops, blackland prairies, disturbed dry soil. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

71
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
Up to about 2 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Bloom
June to October

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 12 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone

Cedar glade in the Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County
Limestone cedar glade. Shown: Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County, Kentucky, a neighboring state.Cedar glade in the Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County, Mason Brock (Masebrock), undated. Public domain. Source record.

Prairies and grasslands

Barrens native plants returning after prescribed fire, September 2020
Barrens grassland after a prescribed fire. Shown: Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, a neighboring state.Barrens native plants returning after prescribed fire, September 2020, NPS Photo / Rick Olson, September 2020. Public domain. Source record.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 26 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Croton

  • Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
  • Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper 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)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

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
Also known as

One Seeded Croton; Prairie Tea; Prairie tea Croton

Conservation status

Virginia rankS3
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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