Species · genus Schefflera · Araliaceae

Dwarf Umbrella Tree

Schefflera arboricola Hayata, 1916

Also known as: Dwarf Schefflera · Umbrella Plant · Umbrella Tree · Dwarf Umbrella Plant · Hawaiian Schefflera · Hawaiian Umbrella Tree · Octopus Tree · Parasol Plant

Growth habit

scrambling shrub

Native range

Hainan, Taiwan

Reference · S. arboricola

Cultivars of S. arboricola

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

No named cultivars catalogued under S. 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.

Schefflera arboricola is a scrambling shrub from the warm, humid subtropics of Taiwan and Hainan, where it grows in dappled, sheltered light rather than open sun. Give it a bright spot out of direct rays and let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering again, as it tolerates a short dry spell far better than sitting wet. Average household humidity suits it.

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 7-12d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 12 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

15–27 °C

Soil mix

Standard well-draining potting mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings, or air layering on woody stems

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly, spring through summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rare indoors; spidery red umbels on outdoor plants

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Araliaceae contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals and saponins that can irritate the mouth and digestive tract. 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 7-12d) · 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.