Question
My shefflera is 1.5 years old and stands about 3 feet tall. It is still in the origianl container. Suddenly this summer, the new leaves are black and falling to the floor. Too much water? Not enough water? Outgrown the container? I want to save it because it is important to my den. It seems to get plenty of indirect light so that should not be the problem. Help?

Answer
Barb,

Black leaves are a sign of not enough light. It needs direct sun, not indirect light. Move it to a sunny location or even put it outdoors in full sun until the night temperatures start dropping below 50 degrees, then it has to go indoors till next summer. It doesn't mind being rootbound and you should not repot it till spring. All houseplants should only be repotted between April 1st and July 30th. When you do repot it only move it to a pot with a 2 inch larger diameter than the old pot. Just get it to a sunny location and you will soon see a lot of new growth. Good luck.

Darlene