Description
Schefflera – Brassaia – Dizygotheca – Heptapeurum –
There are 700-900 mostly evergreen shrubs, trees, climbers (some epiphytic when juvenile), in the Araliaceae family, in this genus. They are found naturally occurring in warm temperate and tropical areas of Southeastern Asia to the Pacific Islands, and Central and South America. They are grown mainly for their spiraled, long stalked, usually rounded, fully divided leaves, each with 3-30 stalked leaflets. Juvenile leaves are sometimes different to than the mature leaves. In summer, autumn, winter, mature trees bear compound umbels, panicles, racemes, or spikes of usually tiny flowers with 4 or 5 yellow green to greenish red petals. The flowers are followed by mostly spherical or egg shaped, black or purple fruits. Grow as a house plant.
Indoors, grow in soil based potting mix in bright filtered or indirect light. During the growing season, water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly, keep just moist in winter.
Prone to scale insects, thrips, mealybugs, and the larvae of some Lepidopteran species including Batrachedra arenosella.
S. arboricola – Heptapleurum arboricolum – Dwarf Umbrella Tree – Hawaiin Elf Schefflera – This upright, hairless shrub is endemic to Taiwan, and is commonly seen as a houseplant, in the wild it can grow 6-20′ feet tall and 3-8′ wide. It produces leaves, 4-8″ long, each divided into 7-11 egg shaped, stalked, short pointed, semi glossy, bright green leaflets, to 4 ½” long. Leaves of juvenile plants have short, broadly spaced teeth. In summer, it bears upright terminal compound panicles, to 12″ long, of red flowers, these are followed by ovoid golden fruit, to 1/4″ long, becoming black with age. Variegated forms are available.
Zones 11-12
