We have inherited a strange looking plant from the previous owners of the house we live in now and would love ţo know what it is and how to care for it. Thanks so much for your assistance.

Your little mystery plant is a Codiaeum (common name Croton): http://garden.org/plants/searc... Maybe Croton (Codiaeum variegatum 'Pictum')

Gosh, the leaf color and shape sure does look like the Croton in your link, Lin. @plantladylin But did you notice some of the leaves have little 'extensions' coming off the mid-rib? The leaf right in the lower middle of the picture has one, although the extension isn't in focus. Do Crotons make extensions off the leaf ends?

I thought maybe it was some unusual type of variegated Nepenthes (pitcher plant), but at the upper right of the picture is a leaf with a larger extension with what looks like another leaf at the end.

Rodney, @PlantNut could you possibly take some closer shots of those little extensions so we can see them better? If you're using your cell phone, just touch the screen to make it focus on a small thing up close.

Moved to Plant ID forum.

I found a Codiaeum cultivar called 'Mother and Daughter' that looks a lot like the plant in question. Leu Gardens describes it as having unusual narrow leaves, green on top, maroon below; leaf appears to be connected to a second leaf by a midrib.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/...
http://s215.photobucket.com/us...
https://www.google.com/search?...

Lin, you're right! It is the Mother & Daughter Croton.

That sure looks like the right plant. Now, I'm thinking if Rodney just wants to put it in a bigger pot with some nice fresh potting soil, he will have a gorgeous plant.

I agree, I bet it's root-bound and would appreciate a larger pot with some good compost/soil. It really is an interesting looking Croton ... I don't recall ever seen that one for sale around here.

There are several different varieties that have the little leaf extensions on them. A few others are 'Victoria Bell' (aka 'Victoria Gold Bell') and Codiaeum appendiculatum 'interruptum'. While superficially, yours may currently look more like 'Mother and Daughter', in indoor situations that are lower light, crotons will not develop their true colors and will be muted so that varieties with similar leaf shapes will look nearly identical.

(Edited for typos.)

Thanks so much for all the replies and such helpful information! !! Yes it was definitely root bound so I just replanted it and hopefully that will help! We just purchased a croton that my husband fell in love with. So I'm really excited to see how this one develops. Oh and I've tried to update my profile. My name is Debra and I'm actually using my husband's tablet.

It's in a bigger put now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Thanks again. We have several plants we inherited from the previous owner that were not familiar with.
Here's one that's gorgeous but I Don't remember ever seeing one. It seems to be doing great



And another plant that produces a strange looking berry


Close up of the berries
the berries look like two stuck together.

Your purple leafed one looks like False Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae 'Atropurpurea')

The shrub looks like a Podocarpus, not sure what variety.

It is Podocarpus... Our neighbor has a line of them along the fence, and the Mockingbirds adore the berries! It also makes wonderful shelter for the birds, for/from the occasional visitor/predator that drops in!

edited to add...as you can see in this pic they can get very large, even becoming trees if not kept in check/pruned.

OK I'm trying this again. Lost my first reply. I love the pics. Have just potted some strays of the word sorrel in a pot for my sunroom. Just a couple of twigs now but when I saw that it could be a house plant I thought I would try it

Oh and the podocarpus gets huge doesn't it? I will have to keep it trimmed if I leave it where it is. So glad the birds love it. Thanks so much for all your help I don't know if this is working. I keep getting an error that as a new member I can't include links to other websites. But only trying to thank you both. You can tell I'm not very good at this can't you lol

That's ok Debra.

I just saw where Dave (our much loved and wonderful guru) is trying to reduce spam... The thread "New restriction to try to prevent spam" in Site Talk forum

Apparently once you've been here a while, you'll be able to post all the links you want.

Which reminds me... Glad to have you here!!!!

Oh thank you. I'm having a ball here already. Deb