Hi Pat,

Your plant is a Hawaiian Schefflera (arboricola). I think you are over watering the plant. Water a Hawaiian Schefflera well and then allow the top 1/3 of the soil to dry out before watering again. Seemingly healthy leaves fall off and new growth turns black when a Hawaiian Schefflera is over- watered. Leaves turn bright yellow when the plant needs more water. You can read all my care tips for a Hawaiian schefflera in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.

https://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/hawaiian-schefflera-arboricola-how-to-grow-care-for-hawaiian-schefflera

These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants