If you are a lover of unusual plants, this isn't one of them. From years of experience I have found that it is good to have a palette of reliable plants that showcase your unusual plants. Many unusual plants are unusual because they are hard to grow or hard to grow for Growers. Therefore, you don't want a whole yard of high maintenance, fussy plants. But you can have your cake and eat it too. Utilize the tried and true varieties and showcase one or two somethings that are spectacular.
One of those staple plants is Schefflera arboricola `Trinette' or Variegated Arboricola. The variety Trinette is a very colorful variegated yellow and green variety. Another great characteristic is that it is slow growing and compact and works well in larger groupings. The yellow leaves are a great contrast to reds and dark pinks such as Firespike and Dwarf Jatropha and can be used as a layering plant. Variegated Aroricola can easily be kept at 2-3' tall and 2-3' wide or left alone with no pruning they can reach 6-8' tall and 4' wide. They prefer sun but will tolerate dense shade.
Maintenance: the best way to prune is to clip prune. That's right get out your pruners and turn off the hedge trimmers. These plants tend to shoot up uneven growth so often times just a couple cuts of more aggressive branches and you are all set. Enjoy these plants!
