QUESTION:
It has sticky leafs, thank you for your help,
Hugo
ANSWER:
Hi Hugo,
Your plant is called a Hawaiian Schefflera (Schefflera Arboricola). The brighter the light the faster and bushier a Hawaiian schefflera plant grows but direct sun burns the leaves. Water well and then allow the top 1/3 of the soil to dry out before watering again. Seemingly healthy leaves fall off and new growth turns black when a Hawaiian schefflera is over- watered. Leaves turn bright yellow when the plant needs more water.
The stickiness on the leaves is a sign that the plant is infested with a plant pest called Scale. Scale attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, and scheffleras. It appears as very tiny, small, brown bumps on the leaves and stems. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off any of the brown oval bumps you can see with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush, then spray the plant with Neem Oil (you can read about it in the Glossary of the website).
You can read all my care tips on how to grow a Hawaiian schefflera in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.