Codiaeum variegatum (L.) A. Juss.) is also known as chameleon, Euphorbiaceae shrub or small tree. The leaves are leathery and brightly coloured. It is often potted and in the tropics it is shrubland. Origin Malaysia and Pacific. Up to 6 meters (20 feet). The leaves contain anthocyanins, monochrome or green, yellow, white, orange, red, pink, red and purple, etc., and the colors are mixed. The leaves are 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) long and vary in morphology depending on the species, elongated linear, lanceolate, ovate or deeply lobed. The leaf-changing wood is named after the shape of its leaves, which are lanceolate, ovate, oval, and undulating, twisted, and so on. Its leaves are bright green, white, gray, red, light red, dark red, purple, yellow, yellow red and so on.
It is native to the Malay Peninsula to Oceania in Asia and is now widely cultivated in the tropics. It is commonly cultivated in the provinces and regions of southern China. This species is a common garden or park foliage plant in tropical and subtropical regions; it is easy to propagate by cuttings and has many horticultural varieties.
Shrubs or small trees up to 2 meters tall. The branches are glabrous and have distinct leaf marks. Leaf thin leathery,
Shapes and sizes vary greatly, from linear, linear lanceolate, oblong, oval, lanceolate, ovate, spoon-shaped, violin-shaped to inverted ovate, sometimes with long midribs intermittently breaking the leaves into upper and lower pieces. 5–30 cm long, 0.5–8 cm wide (0.3–) wide, apically short-pointed, tapered to rounded blunt, basal wedge-shaped, short-pointed to blunt, full margin, shallow fissure to deep fissure, glabrous on both sides, green, pale green, fuchsia and yellow, yellow and green, or sometimes scattered yellow or golden spots or markings on green leaves; petiole length 0.2–2.5 cm.
The inflorescence is axillary, hermaphroditic, 8-30 cm long, male flowers: white, 5 sepals; 5 petals, far smaller than the sepals; 5 glands; 20-30 stamens; slender peduncles; female flowers: pale yellow, sepals ovate triangle; no petals; flower disc ring-like; 3 ventricles in the ovary, the flowers are curved outwards, not divided; the peduncle is slightly thicker. The capsules are nearly spherical, slightly flattened, glabrous, and about 9 mm in diameter; the seeds are about 6 mm long. Flowering period is from September to October. It is native to Java, Indonesia, to Australia.
It prefers high temperature, humidity and sunny environments, and is not hardy. The growth temperature of the deciduous wood is 20 to 30 °C, from March to October it is 21 to 30 °C, and from October to March of the following year, it is 13 to 18 °C. Winter temperature is not less than 13 ° C. Short-term at 10 ° C, the leaf color is not bright, appear dull, lack of luster. When the temperature is 4 to 5 ° C, the leaves are frost damaged, causing a large number of leaves to fall, and even the whole plant freezes to death.
The leafy wood likes to be wet and afraid of drying. During the growing season, the stems and leaves grow rapidly, giving adequate water and spraying water on the foliage daily. However, the potting soil should be kept slightly dry at low temperatures in winter. Such as the winter semi-dormant state, too much moisture, will cause leaf fall, must be strictly controlled.
Leafy wood is a photophilic plant, the entire growth period needs to be full of sunlight, stems and leaves grow luxuriantly, the leaf color is bright, especially the red markings, more bright red. 50,000 to 80,000 lux is the most suitable. If the light is insufficient for a long time, the leaf surface markings and spots are not obvious, lack of luster, soft branches, and even fallen leaves.
The soil is preferably a fertile, water-retaining clay loam. Potted soils are planted with a mixture of cultivated soil, saprophyll soil and coarse sand.