Species · genus Heptapleurum · Araliaceae

Dwarf Umbrella Tree

Heptapleurum arboricola Hayata

Also known as: Hawaiian-elf · Miniature Schefflera · Miniature Umbrella Tree · Parasol-plant

Growth habit

scrambling shrub

Native range

Hainan, Taiwan

Reference · H. arboricola

Cultivars of H. arboricola

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under H. arboricola yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Heptapleurum arboricola is a scrambling shrub from the subtropical forests of Hainan and Taiwan, where it grows in dappled light beneath taller canopy. Give it a bright spot out of direct sun and let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering, since its woody stems tolerate brief dryness far better than sitting wet. Ordinary indoor humidity suits it; soft new growth and dropped leaves usually signal watering that is too frequent.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–27 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining, peat-based potting mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings rooted in soil or water

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in spring and summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Araliaceae often contain saponins and oxalate-like irritants causing oral and digestive irritation. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

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No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

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Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Dwarf Umbrella Tree yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.