PlantFiles: Hawaiian Umbrella Tree, Dwarf Umbrella Plant
Schefflera arboricola 'Trinette'

i love the bright color these shrubs provide, especially bright in shade. i love to see them brighten up those dark corners.
mine are in part-full sun and tolerate it well. it seems the roots are very shallow and thick.

i did have mealybugs on the older leaves - not sure why not the younger but i'm not complaining.

This is one of my favorite houseplants. I have one of these in a 6" pot. The pot is on the deep side, so the plant is doing fine and not suffering from the relatively small container it's in. I bought it in a little 3.5" pot last February, and had to repot very soon because it had grown from about 4" tall to about 10" tall. Very prolific. It grew to over 2' tall within eight months of me purchasing it.

I have never seen any bugs whatsoever on this plant, even though my houseplant collection is suffering from a moderate mealybug problem.

I cut it back by half about four months ago because it was getting a little too tall for its pot, and now it's filled out nicely and grown at least another 6". I plan on repotting it into an 8" pot as soon as I can get my hands on one.

My only problem with it is that it needs encouragement to branch out: the stems just keep growing taller instead of branching unless you cut them back once or twice a year.

Had this plant for years (5) in same small pot and it has not looked the least bit stressed. Grows very large with small rootball. Does great if I forget to water it for a month, or it rains on it daily. ONly problem is high heat (leaves fry in sun if over 110F) and extreme cold (25F or less does similar things to leaves). One of the best potted trees that require the least maintenance (other than pruning back now and then).

Easy indoor plant. Mine is by a very bright window. Keeping it moist but not soggy is important. I would call it an average grower, not too slow, not too fast. It can be pinched to promote bushiness.

Zone 9a, growing in a pot. Just gets bigger every year. No problems or pests. In the garage for the winter.

A couple weeks ago, I spied something "funny looking" on my plant. A closer look revealed buds!!!! I didn't even know Schefflera flowered!?!?!?! I was so excited and am now anxiously awaiting the blossoms!

There are simply no words to adequately describe the feeling of discovering one of Nature's surprises. They are more than worth the work it takes to keep our plants pretty and happy.

dj

An attractive evergreen, showing no damage at 27F. Fast growing, but slows down considerably if the soil dries out. Easily pruned, and forms a very interesting crown of leaves if the top is cut off.

Beautiful foliage plant. I have it planted in a west-facing, protected area to guard against Mobile's infrequent below-freezing nights. It does just fine on the Gulf Coast.

A great tropical plant for coastal California and coastal valleys and of course, the bay area. Long lived, easy to care for plant that takes full sun to full shade,thriving in the sweet spot mix. Much larger than 48". I have seen them as small trees here in Hayward that were 10' tall. I have one almost that height and 16' wide growing up against a wall almost in a flat plane. Usually multitrunked,They can be trained to a single trunk. In the wild the species arboricola can be an epiphyte. That gives them a tolerance for low water even if they do thrive with more water than average. Hardy i would say to 28f..below that, much kill back. I haven't seen one flower- yet. With the variegated leaves those Schefflera red fruits would be outstanding. Aphids are the main pest. Keep an eye open for that.
A very versatile plant underused here.

I often hear people complain that this plant is too common in South Florida landscapes. Well cared for specimens can be real show stoppers. The variegation looks great with any flower colors and the plant is about as low maintenance an any you'll find. The crushed leaves and sap smell like pine to me. This plant succeeds best indoors with high light levels (meaning some direct sun).

I've had mine in same pot for over 8 years. It is a lovely dwarf Schefflera that should be kept bushy. If not trimmed, it can become unsightly & leggy. In 6a, it was a house plant for years but now does very well outside in a large clay pot, on north side of my house with strong ambient light. I'd suggest strong lighting if inside the house. I water deeply each week with very weak fertilizer. When healthy, it doesn't seem to be bothered by any pests. Nice landscape plant.