PlantFiles: Schefflera, Umbrella Tree, Octopus Tree
Schefflera actinophylla

I live in the coastal Los Angeles region and see various Schefflera species planted everywhere, many quite close to structures. It is a very popular plant here. Are invasive roots only a problem in humid climates? I noticed the problem mentioned only by residents of Florida.

We have 3 mature trees close to the house and driveway but have not experienced problems with the root system. We don't let the tree get any higher than the roof line and this is easily done by manually plucking off new growth on the top -- the plant bounces back quickly from this and we do this routine often. Grows TALL if allowed and IMO the shape isn't as nice than when kept shorter. These are very easy to propagate from cuttings. Also does well in containers. Seems to tolerate both part shade and full sun.

These are house plants here. Basic plant great for newbies I feel. Never seen one in the ground but on the http://www.
The latest one I was given had to have five feet or so cut off. I like the bushy look and the people had it looking like a palm tree. The top was given away and the stalk was cut,rooted and given away (still have at least one left hint,hint) .
It is growing back.

This is one of those huge house plants....In the past this is one that I had grown big (easy) and sold to a office building where it might still be?

I had to supply this one with artificial light, which I had to keep moving the light for it grown to close and burned the leaves.

Again easy house plant and make sure you have room for it grows big!!

I have not grown this tree, but have observed Umbrella Tree, Umbrella Plant, Octopus Tree (Schefflera actinophylla) in Maui. Native to Australia, it has become an introduced native plant in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Considered one of the plant pests in Hawaii because alien fruit-loving birds spread its seeds, it is quite common in wet lowland habitats on all of the Hawaiian Islands. A fast growing evergreen tree which can grow to 50 feet tall, it is very shade tolerant

Although tender,I have seen them looking very nice in the eastbay. I think an almost 20 year run of mild winters has much to do with S.actinophylla now doing well this far north.
Full sun to half a day of full sun seems to be best exposure.

We had a huge potted schefflera at my work on the patio and I always loved it. I had a chance to get one so I did. It did great on the fireplace hearth (who uses a fireplace in California?) then we moved. It was the hottest weekend in September and someone left it out next to the white moving truck, radiating the heat from the sun in 115 degree weather, and after being inside, it didn't like it. It was about 3ft across and about 4ft high, almost lost it, I thought it was dead, lost all its leaves, looked like it was shriveling. I refused to let my husband throw it away, I just kept watering it and talking to it! It's been 5 years and great until now. I've been wanting to put it in a bigger pot, but now it's got those under the leaves bugs and some of the leaves are turning yellow. I'm going to read everything I can and try to get it healthy before transplanting it. Like someone else said, it's part of my family!

This is on the state of Florida's do not plant list of noxious Australian plants/trees. You shouldn't plant it in Florida. Another horror story:

My mother had one that she loved, but that eventually cracked the cement pathway in her yard and broke part of her paver patio into rubble. Ultimately, it choked many of the surrounding plants. They had it taken down and had the main roots dug out - and they were huge.

The professional tree remover said that he's removed scheffera that actually broke a portion of the cement foundation in homes and its the most common tree that he removes close to homes in Florida. He also said they will invade and crush sewer pipes.

If you are in a warm, humid area you must be extremely cautious about where you plant this in the ground. The roots are incredibly strong and known in this area to damage house foundations, plumbing and other infrastructure. It's probably OK if you plant it well away other plants and large trees, and far away from any structures, sewer lines, cement or patios or buried electrical wires if you're in a climate where they grow rapidly. You should avoid planting them in Florida.

I think the Schefflera is a very pretty tree. However, I have seen the damage this botanical can do with it's invasive root system.

The Schefflera root system destroyed my waterfall, tiled courtyard and the wing wall behind it. I was not going to let it destroy my pool so I had it cut down and the stump poisoned by professionals. Months later it was still alive. I had to have the stump cut out using various saws and other hand tools. I fear there still might be roots somewhere in the surrounding area the Schefflera could root from.

It has cost me nearly $4000.00 so far to repair the damage the Schefflera has caused.

When I drive past a building or house where I see the Schefflera planted next to a wall, I can't help but wonder how much the future repair cost will be.

In my opinion the only good Schefflera, is a bonsai.

I have my Schefflera in a 5-gallon plastic pot overwintering in a greenhouse. The roots are growing out the bottom - will repot in spring into larger pot. Plant is now 3 feet tall - I need a little more height.

It does perfectly well in Rio de Janeiro. When they bloom, it´s just fantastic. There´s a touristic point, the Aterro do Flamengo, where lots of these plants were planted, and when it´s time to bloom, they all show those red blooms, like they wear fire crowns.

Mine remains outside 24/7/365 in a clay pot & does beautifully.

much prefer the dwarf to this. had some, at least 20', in the parking area of a home i lived in some years ago. incredibly messy, always had fruit and was always dropping in all over vehicles, the walkway, yuck. Maybe keep it tamed in a pot and never let it near soil it could get its roots in...it would grow itself out of the pot in a blink.

Schefflera, or Queensland Umbrella Tree or Octopus Tree, is an attractive-looking tree that does well in zones 9, 10a, 10b, 11 and below. I had this tree at my old house in Tamarac, FL, where it was growing (grows well throughout southern Florida and my Boca Raton, FL, area) in the front yard and was damaging part of the black, concrete tar driveway with its roots. It also dropped many of its leaves which we had to rake up (I think there was one in the back also). It is a fairly fast-growing, unusual, up to 30 feet tall and attractive-looking tree but is on the EPPC Plant List One for its invasiveness. It can clog sewer lines and sprinklers and become a nuisance. However, it is excellent for keeping inside in a medium-to-large sized pot, where it dosn't show most or any of those negatives. Be prepared, though; it is fast-growing and can be 30 feet tall when mature! The seeds are unusual and awesome, blood-red in color and in large quantities at the top of the trees trunks, above the newest shoots of leaves. In my area, they are displayed mainly in Spring and Summer, but are found year-round. Enjoy this plant indoors!

I have had this plant for about 4years in the late spring I put it outside the schefflera loves it of corse when falls comes around its back in the house and it does very well one thing it needs shade in the hot summer.Nancy

in the bradenton neighborhood, on the west coast of florida just south of tampa, schefflera is practically a weed. you can't kill it, it can be pruned any way you want, it will grow 15-20ft high, or you can cut it back so it branches and forms a fast growing bushy plant covering as large an area as you wish. i have yet to see it flower, but i've not grown the plant tall until lately. i've been told by others around here that it does flower in red. all in all it's a very useful plant. i have the large leaf, the super large leaf, the small leaf and the variegated leaf varieties, all serving different landscaping uses, all thriving. it doesn't seem to care what kind of soil, mine is sandy and i throw some slow-release fertilizer to it from time to time. some is in shade, some in full sun. it's not picky.

Since my first knowledge of this plant, it has been a house plant, until about 15 years ago when I began to see them planted in the ground. We have had mild winters except for a few years when (usually) people wrap their 'tender vegetation.' So now they are seen quite frequently growing outside at heights of 10' or so. I have not seen any here like those in Palmbob's picture--that is awesome!

i have mine in a pot on the patio. i bring it out in the spring and take it in, in the fall. i have tried to or i'm trying to propagate a cutting and so far it has done well. some new growth but very little progress.

This is a very commonly grown lanscape tree in Southern California. Though it only flowers in the perfect climates here, it does flower profusely in more tropical, humid climates (such as Florida). It takes a huge amount of reckless pruning without a hint of a problem. There are varieties that have wavier leaves that are highly attractive.

Maybe not as cold hardy as what I thought this species was... had a freak cold snap here in Los Angeles Jan 07 and all the Scheffleras exposed to temps below 28F are brown and melted... maybe only a 10a plant?

The flowers are nothing to get excited about but the fruit is quite interesting. It's bright red, borne in clusters on ribs that look somewhat like the ribs of an unbrella.

Just added a photo of a variegated one that I acquired this morning. The nursery had only one. It has two stems; as soon as I plant it and it become established, I intend to sacrifice one cane for cuttings, maybe in the spring.