Houseplant · Araliaceae
Umbrella Tree
Heptapleurum arboricola
Set it in bright indirect light and let it dry between drinks, and the umbrella tree lends a room effortless, sculptural calm.
Bright indirect
USDA 10–12
3–8 ft · 0.9–2.4 m
Overview
The umbrella tree takes its name from leaflets that open out from a single point like the ribs of an umbrella. A member of the ivy family native to Taiwan and Hainan, it grows as a shrub or small tree in the wild and settles indoors as an easy, sculptural presence, its glossy leaflets reading as green architecture in a corner or beside a sofa.
Part of its appeal is how little it asks of a busy household. It takes a range of light, forgives a skipped watering, and accepts hard pruning without protest, so it can stay low and full on a shelf or rise into a slim indoor tree that anchors a reading nook. The one thing it will not abide is standing water at the roots, so a free-draining pot keeps it looking its best.
A single caveat shapes where it belongs in a home. Every part carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which makes it toxic to cats and dogs and unfit to eat, so a high shelf, a plant stand, or a room the pets skip suits it well. Placed with that in mind, it holds its poise for years.
Care
The short version: give it bright indirect light, water only once the top half of the soil has dried, and keep the room above 60°F (15.6°C). Empty the saucer, prune it to suit the space, and it stays composed and green.
Light
It looks its best in bright indirect light, the soft glow of a curtain-filtered east, west, or south window for a few hours a day. A little shade is tolerable, though a dim corner leaves the stems stretched and thin, while harsh direct sun scorches the foliage.
Water
Water it well, then wait until the top half of the soil has dried before the next round. The habit to avoid is letting water pool around the roots, so pour off the saucer each time. From fall into late winter it drinks far less, so ease back.
Soil
A peaty, well-drained potting mix with plenty of organic matter is all it asks, set in a pot with drainage holes. It stays relaxed about pH, content anywhere from 6.0 to 8.0, and gets on with clay, loam, or sandy blends.
Temperature
Keep the room warm and steady, above 60°F (15.6°C), and away from cold drafts, vents, and air conditioners. A sudden chill is a frequent reason leaves begin to drop.
Humidity
Ordinary room humidity suits it, so there is no target to chase. When winter heating dries the air, a tray of wet pebbles or the occasional misting keeps the leaf tips from browning.
Feeding
Feed through the growing season, spring into summer, with a water-soluble or time-release houseplant fertilizer at the label rate. Ease off when the plant sits in lower light and slows down.
Pruning
It accepts hard pruning gracefully. Cut just above a leaf to hold its size and coax fuller growth, and over the years an older plant can be shaped into a tidy small tree. Wear gloves, since the sap can bother skin.
Repotting
Move a crowded plant into a slightly larger pot of general-purpose mix once the roots fill the container or growth slows, at any time of year. There is no rush, as it is happy sitting a touch snug in its pot.
Size & spacing
Indoors it stands about 3 to 8 feet (91 to 244 cm) tall with a spread of 4 to 8 feet (122 to 244 cm). Give it a little room to fan out, and prune to keep it in scale where space is tight.
Troubleshooting
Nearly every issue an umbrella tree runs into comes back to watering, light, or dry air, and it signals the trouble early. Match what the leaves and stems are showing to the notes below and settle the cause before it spreads.
Wilting while the soil stays wet
When a plant droops though the soil is still wet, the roots are drowning and root rot has set in from overwatering or poor drainage. Ease it out, cut away any soft, brown, foul-smelling roots, and repot into fresh, free-draining mix in a pot with real drainage holes. From then on, let the top half of the soil dry and keep the saucer empty.
Fix:
- Allow the soil to dry appropriately between waterings
- Repot into fresh, well-drained potting mix and a pot with drainage holes
- Remove rotted roots and badly affected growth
Leaves letting go after an upset
An umbrella tree sheds leaves when its watering swings from soaked to parched, and a cold draft or an abrupt move can set it off too. Settle into a steady rhythm, let the top half of the soil dry before watering, and keep it in one warm, well-lit spot above 60°F (15.6°C). Given time, most plants quietly leaf out again.
Fix:
- Adjust watering so the top half of the soil dries before rewatering
- Move the plant away from cold drafts, vents and air conditioners
- Keep temperatures above about 15.6°C (60°F)
- Give the plant a stable spot in bright indirect light and avoid frequent moves
Speckled leaves veiled in fine webbing
Dusty, stippled leaves with fine webbing underneath point to spider mites, which move in fast when the air is hot and dry. Rinse the foliage and wipe each leaf with a damp sponge, then treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Nudging the humidity up makes the plant far less inviting to them.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves with a damp sponge
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Raise humidity to discourage mites
Cottony tufts, bumps, and sticky leaves
Cottony white tufts in the leaf joints are mealybugs, while the small brown shell-like bumps along the stems are scale, and both tend to leave sticky honeydew behind. Touch each insect with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, then follow with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Keep the plant apart from the rest and repeat until no new bugs appear.
Fix:
- Dab insects with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Repeat treatments and isolate the plant until cleared
Twisted, scarred new growth
New leaves that unfurl curled or scarred usually mean aphids clustering on the tender tips or thrips rasping at the surface. Rinse the aphids off with a spray of water, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and snip away any badly deformed growth. Catching them early, before their numbers climb, is what turns it around.
Fix:
- Rinse off aphids with water
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Remove heavily infested growth
Stretched stems and pale, thin foliage
Long, weak stems and yellowing leaves are the plant reaching for more light. Move it to a brighter window with sun softened by a curtain for a few hours a day, then trim the leggy stems just above a leaf, and it fills back out fuller than before.
Fix:
- Move to a brighter spot with bright indirect light (an east, west or south window with curtain-filtered sun for 3-4 hours daily)
- Prune leggy stems just above a leaf to encourage bushier regrowth
Brown leaf tips as the air dries
Browning tips and the odd dropped leaf usually mean the air has gone dry, most often in winter once the heating runs. Rest the pot on a tray of damp pebbles, keeping the base above the water, and mist the leaves or gather it with other plants to lift the moisture around it.
Fix:
- Raise humidity by setting the container on a tray of wet pebbles (pot not sitting in water)
- Mist the foliage or group with other plants
Toxicity
This is the toxic Schefflera, not the harmless umbrella pine, and the distinction is worth keeping straight. Every part holds insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that the ASPCA flags as toxic to cats and dogs, bringing on a burning mouth, drooling, and vomiting if chewed. No part is edible, and the sap can irritate skin, so keep it clear of pets and children and wear gloves when you prune.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
The ASPCA lists this plant as toxic to cats. A single bite of a leaf brings an immediate burning in the mouth, then heavy drooling, pawing at the face, vomiting, and trouble swallowing.
Dogs Moderate
Dogs react the same way the ASPCA flags for cats. Chewing any part sets off intense mouth and tongue irritation, drooling, and vomiting, since the same sharp oxalate crystals are at work.
Horses Caution
The plant is not a normal pasture risk, but the calcium oxalate crystals would sting a grazing horse's mouth and may start it drooling. Keep it well out of reach to be safe.
Rabbits Caution
Do not let a rabbit nibble it. The same irritant crystals can burn the mouth and turn the gut sour, so this is not a plant to offer or leave within reach.
Livestock Caution
Goats, sheep, and cattle would feel the oral burning and stomach upset the oxalate crystals cause. The plant rarely meets farm animals, but treat it as off limits.
Birds Caution
A curious bird that bites a leaf can end up with an irritated, burning mouth from the crystals. Keep companion birds away from the foliage.
People Caution
No part of this plant is edible. Chewing it irritates the mouth and throat, and the sap can leave sensitive skin itchy, so wear gloves when you prune and keep the leaves away from small children.
The sap can irritate sensitive skin; wear gloves when pruning or handling
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Almost every umbrella tree offered for the home is the dwarf type, and a few named cultivars stand out for their variegation or their neat, compact shape.
'Gold Capella'
A gold-variegated dwarf umbrella tree, its leaves splashed and rimmed with warm yellow.
'Trinette'
A well-loved variegated dwarf umbrella tree, marbled in creamy yellow and green.
'Variegata'
A variegated form carrying the same starry leaves streaked in pale and deep green.
'Compacta'
A tighter, slower dwarf umbrella tree that stays shorter and denser, ideal where space is tight.
How to propagate
An umbrella tree is simple to multiply, with a few routes to choose from depending on the plant you are working with.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · Several weeks to root
The easiest way to a new plant. Take a tip or stem cutting in spring or summer, stand it in a moist potting mix, and it roots over the next several weeks. Keep it warm and out of direct sun while it settles in.
Air layeringModerate
Spring to summer · Several weeks
A neat trick for a tall, leggy plant you want to bring down in height. In spring or summer, wound the stem, wrap it to hold moisture, and roots form there over several weeks before you cut the young plant free just below them.
SeedModerate
When fresh seed is available · Slow
Possible, but the slow road. Sow fresh seed whenever you can get it and settle in to wait, since germination and those first weeks of growth take their time next to a rooted cutting.
Myths
The umbrella tree is safe for cats and dogs to chew.
The ASPCA lists it as toxic to both. Its leaves and stems hold sharp insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, so a pet that bites in gets a burning mouth, heavy drooling, and vomiting. Keep this plant out of reach of cats and dogs.
Every umbrella tree behaves the same way outdoors in a warm climate.
Two different plants share the name. The larger umbrella tree, Schefflera actinophylla, is a non-native invasive that Florida lists on its Invasive Species Council roster at Category I, while the dwarf umbrella tree grown indoors is only naturalized and carries no such invasive listing.