SCHEFFLERA 

SCHEFFLERA (Brassaia) - The schefflera is a familiar, troublefree, leafy houseplant that will live for years indoors. It’s sometimes known as the Australian umbrella tree because the glossy foot-long leaflets form umbrella-shaped resettes 2 feet across. Its botanical name is B. actinophylla, but the plants are occasionally sold as either Schefflera actinophylla or S. macrostachya.

In the wild in their native province of Queensland, Australia, scheffleras (sheff-lee-ra) can grow to be 40 feet tall, but indoors they’re usually seen in the 2- to 6- foot range. In fad, one of their best characteristics is that they can be kept fairly small without suffering. I know a woman who kept her plant in a chilly sun room and only remembered to water it once a month or so; the plant lived for years, without apparently growing a bit and without losing any of its foliage or its good looks.

In order to grow, scheffleras need warmth, with nights in the high 60s and days ten degrees or so warmer. They’re best in bright light but they’ll tolerate sunlight if they’re provided with enough moisture. Let the soil dry out a bit between thorough waterings, and feed the plants every 6 months. They can be repotted at any time of the year in commercial potting soil. If you would rather that your plant didn’t grow, keep it cooler, drier and a little pot-bound.

Scheffleras are very easily started from seeds and, in fact, that’s the way commercial crops are begun. They grow fairly quickly if they’re given enough food, moisture, light, and soil room. I’d suggested that you set 3 or 4 young seedlings together in a pot so you’ll have a good thick-foliaged specimen when they mature. Incidentally, seedlings show few leaflets to each leaf when young, producing larger leaves with more sections as they increase in age.

No discussion about scheffleras today would be complete without mention to the so- called dwarf schefflera. Among growers it is known as Schefflera arboricola, but it is still so new that it isn’t listed in standard reference books, nor has its actual identity been established. It leaves are composed of very smooth, small, oval leaflets and its habit of growth is restrained and exceedingly attractive. Care for it as for other scheffleras.

 

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