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I believe this plant is a type of schefflera, but I need a more specific ID. If it's not a schefflera, please let me know what it is. It also looks quite sickly, and I'm not sure why. Some of the leaves have blackened, and others have pinpoint dots on the underside of the leaves. Instead of a chartreuse-green color, the leaves look more yellowish. The fruit is green and seems to attract wasps. This tree form is about 8 or 9 feet tall, and is growing (somewhat poorly) in Cabo, MX. Sorry about the sideways pics. I was unable to rotate them correctly on this computer. Thanks for any help you can provide.
I think it may need some amendment to the soil. I also notice it is on the edge of a path. Could someone have used a heavy cleaner on the path and it wash into the root zone?
To me this does not look like S. actinophylla; not sure if I am seeing the pictures correctly in my browser, but the leaves remind me of mature S. elegantissima foliage.
I'm not saying it definitely is S. elgantissima, but it is a very common species, and that is more likely in Mexico than some of the similar N.Z. sp.
I have seen mature trees in several settings, and the forms are variable. From the RHS Dictionary: "mature lvs... broadly toothed, sinuate, or entire."
Thanks for the info. From what I can see on the photo links, my plant looks more like S. elegantissima. All of the leafy growth is just at the tops of each trunk, and there is no branching except for the long stems on each leaf. Each leaf is about 6" long. The fruit of S. actinophylla in particular looks nothing like the tiny berries on this plant. So for now, at least, I'm going to assume that it's S. elegantissima. I'm still concerned about the health of this plant, however. The stone (maybe marble?) surrounding the plants are washed by nothing other than water, and it doesn't get washed very often except during a hurricane. So maybe what's needed is some extra fertilizer and water? The soil has been amended since it's naturally sandy, but it might need a boost. Would some more photos or clearer photos help determine how to save this tree/shrub? Please let me know.
