An umbrella plant, with glossy leaflets held out in circles like the spokes of an umbrella, and one of the easiest large-leaved houseplants to keep.
Correctly Heptapleurum arboricola now, though everyone still buys and searches for it as Schefflera arboricola. Each leaf is made of a ring of glossy green leaflets on a slender stalk, and the plant builds over time into a bushy, upright specimen or a small indoor tree of around 1.8m. It grows quickly for a plant of this size, so regular pruning keeps it compact and thickens the growth.
It does best in bright indirect light and will tolerate a shadier position, though it grows more slowly there. Keep it out of prolonged direct sun, which scorches the leaflets. Let the top few centimetres of compost dry between waterings and cut back through winter. It drops leaves if it is moved, chilled or left sitting wet, so pick a spot, keep it above about 10C and away from draughts, and let it settle. Mist it occasionally or stand it near other plants in a dry room. Feed every two to four weeks from spring to early autumn, and repot in spring when the roots fill the pot, moving up one size at a time.
Supplied as one established plant with a 3 litre root ball, ready to display or to pot into a container of your own. Schefflera is a skin allergen and is toxic to cats and dogs because of the calcium oxalates it contains, so keep it out of their reach and wash your hands after pruning.
Cultural Information
Common Name: Umbrella plant, dwarf umbrella tree
Fully Grown Height and Spread: Up to 1.8m x 1m indoors
Growth Habit: Bushy and upright, becoming a small indoor tree
Perfect For: Living rooms, bedrooms, offices, hallways and bright bathrooms
Foliage: Glossy green palmate leaves of leaflets arranged like umbrella spokes
Flowering Time: Grown for foliage
Planting Position: Bright to medium indirect light indoors
Soil Type: Free-draining, peat-free houseplant compost with added perlite
Hardiness: Tender, indoor only; keep above 10C
Maintenance: Easy; prune to shape and avoid moving it about
Seasonal Interest: Evergreen foliage all year
Type: Evergreen foliage houseplant
