I found this handsome plant plant left on my doorstep. Apparently a gift from my landlady who wishes to stop killing it. How shall I care for this lovely plant and what is it?
Codiaeum variegatum, AKA Croton. Water it when it's dry to the depth of your first knuckle, and keep it in a sunny location, and it will love you for quite a long time.
It's missing a lot of leaves. I'm reading that I can prune it right down and it will survive. Do you have any tips?
Honestly, I've never grown them in pots, only in the ground, so I'm not entirely sure how they behave in northern climates. In-ground specimens can take extensive and fairly hard pruning and simply come back bushier, but before I attempted anything like that with a potted plant, especially one that turned up on my doorstep, I'd repot and check the state of the root ball. At the same time, I'd take that ivy out of the pot (and burn it, but that's just me) - the two plants have very different water and light requirements. If your roots are healthy, you can prune about a month after repotting; cut branches with woody portions can be stuck into the soil directly to root them (and that way you don't lose your current crowns, which are quite nice.)
my landlady has a thing for potting multiple species in single pots. This is not the first time. LOL. I will likely remove the ivy and as you said (burning it may not be neccessary... composting should suffice hehe). Depending on what sort of root ball I find I will likely just repot it in the container. After pruning, even if I leave no leaves on a stalk it will continue to shoot a new stem? Thats so cool. Plants are so amazing. Thank you for the advice about pruning off the crown and sticking it in the soil. Plant surgery is fun LOL. I've got a poor arrow head vine that I have finally learned how not to kill. Only in the nick of time though. Cheers
Codiaeun variegatum or crotons are very colorful plants. tehy require bright light to ensure leaf coloration. you can propagate by air layering. you can also try other varieties such as those having twisted, wavy and curled leaves. the colorations also vary, from spots to streaks and mottling. keep soil barely moist and fertilize monthly. good luck with your plant.:))