Species · genus Heptapleurum · Araliaceae

Common Schefflera

Heptapleurum heptaphyllum (L.) Y.F.Deng

Also known as: Ivy Tree

Growth habit

shrub or tree

Native range

Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam

Reference · H. heptaphyllum

Cultivars of H. heptaphyllum

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

No named cultivars catalogued under H. heptaphyllum 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.

A woody shrub-to-tree from the warm, humid forests of subtropical and tropical East and Southeast Asia, 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 roots dislike sitting wet. Indoor humidity is generally sufficient, though it appreciates some air movement.

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 or air layering

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Does not flower indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Araliaceae commonly contain irritant saponins and calcium oxalate-type compounds that can cause oral and gastrointestinal irritation. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

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

Add images

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 Common Schefflera 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.