Croton

Ooh I like this plant, different colours on one plant, Love it..

Bernieh:

Do you grow your crotons in semi-shade? I have such bad luck with mine...they always burn in the full sun especially during the San Ana Wind Season. (Fall - Spring) our humidity during a Santa Ana can go below 10%.

Yes Delonix1 these are grown under the outer canopy of other large trees although many people around here grow them out in the full sun. I think the difference must be the humidity - the humidity around north Queensland wouldn't drop that low during that time of year - autumn into spring.

Bernieh:

We have an unusual Winter weather pattern - probably by most people's perception. Generally, late Spring thru September we have pretty humid weather. However, our Fall - Early Spring we have a kind of wet/dry season...I know it's an oxymoron. We receive our rain during Winter however it's when we have "Santa Ana Wind Season" also...which is the hot, very dry winds blowing from the east. It's the very dangerous "Firestorm Season" The winds can howl in some part of Southern Cal. to almost 100 miles an hour/ 160 kilometers per hour and the humidity can go down to negative relative humidity values...which sounds like another oxymoron. The temperatures can soar to 95+ degrees F / 35+ degrees C. I know it sounds very strange.

These "Santa Ana Wind Firestorms" are similar to what Southern Australia has been experiencing over the last few weeks.

During a very strong Santa Ana Wind event temperatures as high as 115 degrees F / 46 degrees C. have been recorded officially. I know it sounds unreal! This actually happened in San Diego County in late September 1963 - Unofficial reports of temperatures as high as 121 degrees / 49 degrees C. were stated in some of San Diego's districts.

The last couple of years we have had some catastrophic Firestorms. Just last October and November several thousand homes were destroyed in these 'Firestorms' in Southern California.

Yes I've heard about the Santa Anas and it sounds a bit frightening when they whip up firestorms - Mother Nature can sure be destructive at times! They sound like our bushfires when they get whipped up by very strong dry winds - we've had similar experiences in parts of Victoria and around Canberra with firestorms (luckily I've never been through one of those)!