Codiaeum variegatum 'Excellent'

Codiaeum variegatum 'Excellent' background and breeding

Azienda Floreale Diem Nursery selected 'Excellent' in Italy during its 1970s breeding programme.

In 1995, a naturally occurring mutation appeared among 'Excellent' plants grown in the Netherlands; it was later named 'Masaii'. Codiaeum variegatum itself is native to tropical Southeast Asia and the south-west Pacific.

Codiaeum variegatum 'Excellent' plant care guide

• Position: Place 'Excellent' in bright filtered light. Good light supports compact growth and strong colour. Protect the large leaves from strong sun through glass.
• Leaf care: Wipe the broad leaves occasionally with a soft damp cloth to remove settled dust.
• Watering: Let the surface of the mix begin to dry, then water thoroughly and empty any water left in the outer pot or saucer. Room-temperature rainwater is useful in areas with very hard tap water.
• Warmth and humidity: Warm room temperatures suit it well, ideally around 18°C or above. Keep it above 15°C. Moderate to high humidity suits the leathery leaves.
• Potting mix: Use a free-draining, slightly acidic potting mix in a container with drainage holes.
• Feeding: Feed during active growth with a balanced liquid fertiliser, following the amount on the label. When growth slows in cooler, darker conditions, water less often and pause feeding until fresh growth resumes.
• Repotting and pruning: Move it into the next pot size when roots crowd the container or the potting mix starts drying much faster than usual. Prune long stems to encourage new branches when needed.
• Propagation: Healthy young stem cuttings can be rooted in warm conditions to produce new 'Excellent' plants.
• Safe handling: Use gloves for pruning because the sap can irritate skin and eyes. Keep leaves and stems out of reach of children and pets that may chew them.

Codiaeum variegatum 'Excellent' troubleshooting

• New leaves stay mostly green: Light is probably too low for the leaves to develop stronger colour. Increase filtered light gradually and keep the plant close to a bright window.
• Tiny pale speckles and thin webbing develop: Spider mites are the likely cause. Isolate the plant, rinse the leaf surfaces, wipe both sides of the broad leaves and apply a treatment labelled for spider mites and repeat it as often as the label says.
• Sticky leaves or fixed brown bumps appear: Scale insects may be feeding on the stems and leaves. Isolate the plant, remove visible scale carefully, then use a houseplant treatment labelled for scale and repeat it as often as the label says; our scale insect guide covers identification and follow-up.
• Several lower leaves drop at once: A dry root ball, potting mix that stays wet for too long, cold air or a sudden change of position can cause leaves to drop. Check the mix first, then keep it warm and stable while it recovers.
• Leaves turn yellow while the roots are soft and the potting mix stays wet: Root rot is likely. Lift the plant from its pot, remove soft dark roots with a clean, disinfected tool, trim to firm healthy tissue, discard all rotten material and repot in fresh free-draining mix. See the root rot guide for more detail.

Codiaeum variegatum ‘Excellent’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs, and avoid contact with its sap.
• The sap can irritate the mouth, digestive tract, skin and eyes.
• Exposure may cause burning mouth pain, vomiting, stomach pain, or skin and eye irritation. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop.

The history of the name Codiaeum

Codiaeum is a Latinized form of kodiho, a vernacular name from Ternate in Indonesia.

Adrien Henri Laurent de Jussieu established the genus Codiaeum in 1824 in De Euphorbiacearum Generibus, page 33; Georg Eberhard Rumphius had proposed the name.

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Croton variegatus in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 1199. Adrien Henri Laurent de Jussieu later placed it in Codiaeum as Codiaeum variegatum in 1824 in De Euphorbiacearum Generibus, pages 80 and 111; Georg Eberhard Rumphius had proposed the name.