carly,

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Does anyone know if I can get away with keeping it outside by the front door of the building

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you need to keep in mind that these,and quite a few other "houseplants",are of the tropical variety. i don't know how cold it gets where you are but you may want to lean more twards keeping it in the lobby again depending on the outside temp

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"If you want to talk bollocks and discuss the meaning of life,you're better off downing a bottle of whiskey.That way you're drunk by the time you start to take yourself seriously"

Hi Carly;
I'm going to venture to say your "find" looks like the species "Brassaia" it does best in bright light but will adapt to low light but it becomes "leggy" which is what looks like has happened to yours. Water thoroughly then allow the soil to dry before watering again. You can fertilize year round. Be careful not to overwater or keep the soil to wet because it is subject to crown and stem rot. It needs warm temps.(but not hot) and high humidity... I hope this helps you help your plant.

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Each day is a new beginning...What you begin is your choice.
The pleasure you receive from life is equal only to the attitude you put into it.

I'm not sure. I took another look at the plant and I've seen that before.Its similar to what was on my rubber plant when it got to dry (lack of humidity). It may just be due to lack of proper lighting. It also looks like It could stand a pot just a little larger than the one its in. Maybe too,if you do repot it you can very gently start coaxing it upright by very carefully placing a stake in the soil at the EDGE of the pot opposite the "bend" and use lengths of pantyhose to tie it up. Not to tight. Then, as the plant starts to straighten, move the nylons up a bit and so on. It will always have somewhat of a "crook" in it but maybe it'll get better. GOOD LUCK!!!

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Each day is a new beginning...What you begin is your choice.
The pleasure you receive from life is equal only to the attitude you put into it.

Hi Carly,

Are the reddish-brown spots on your Schefflera raised? Is there a sticky substance beneath your plant? If so, you most likely have scale. (The sticky stuff, called honeydew, is scale excrement.) Scales have a hard exterior shell that soap and water does not easily penetrate. Try spraying the plant with a solution of 1 part rubbing alcohol to 8 or 9 parts water with a squirt of dish soap added as emulsion.

Tricia is correct about Schefflera requiring bright indirect light but I would not repot the plant. Instead, my suggestion is to prune it back by about a third. New growth will appear just below the cut. Water it thoroughly, letting the soil dry between waterings.
If you stake it, be careful not to damage roots. Good luck.

Tricia, I've never heard of the pantyhose trick to straighten a plant. Have you tried it?