Dwarf Umbrella Tree (Schefflera Arboricola) Care

Dwarf umbrella tree, scientific name Schefflera arboricola, belongs to the family Araliaceae of the order Apiales. It is a flowering, evergreen shrub native to the Taiwan and Hainan. A dwarf umbrella tree has a trailing shoot and grows up to the height of about 3-4 meter. The leaves are palmately compound with 7-9 leaflets; each of the leaflet is about 10-20 cm in length and 5-10 cm in width. The shape and color of foliages may vary depending upon the cultivar. In some cultivars, the centers or edges of the leaves are yellowish in color. The flowers are red in color, which are produced in panicle inflorescence.

Dwarf Umbrella Tree (Schefflera Arboricola) Care

Dwarf umbrella tree is most popular as a houseplant, especially due to its hardiness to poor growing conditions. To be precise, it requires minimal maintenance in comparison to other decorative house plants. Following are some of the caring tips for S. arboricola plants grown in the containers.

Propagation
Dwarf umbrella tree can be propagated by means of various methods, namely, seeds, stem cuttings and air-layering. For starting, purchase S. arboricola from a nursery or horticulturist. Select the disease resistant cultivar with attractive foliages. In the next growing season, you can propagate on your own by stem cuttings.

Potting Soil
Dwarf umbrella trees grow well in a mixture of sandy and clayey soils. While preparing the potting mixture, amend with three parts of organic fertilizer or farmyard compost. Fill the potting soil for about three-fourth of the pots or containers. When the plants is established, mulch the top exposed soil around the plant with dried leaves and barks.

Watering
Regarding irrigation of S. arboricola plant, it does not tolerate wet soil. Hence, watering should be done to such an extent that the soil is moist, but not wet. While practicing indoor gardening, never keep the dwarf umbrella in wet soil. Blackening and dropping of leaves indicate excess watering, while drying of leaf tips represents dry conditions.

Lighting
Dwarf umbrella tree requires moderate to bright light for better growth. While placing indoors, make sure to install artificial lights so that the plants receive sufficient light conditions. Yellowing of foliages is an indication for inadequate light conditions. Regarding temperature range, favorable range is between 60-85 degrees F.

Pruning
Dwarf umbrella tree, if left alone, may spread its branches out of control. Hence, regular pruning or trimming of the branches and leaves is advisable to maintain a round, bushy and thick canopy shape. Pruning can be done at any time of the year, whenever required. You can practice occasional selective pruning to maintain its shape.

Problems
One of the most common problems with indoor growing of dwarf umbrella tree is the presence of spider mites on the underside of the leaves. To prevent such a condition, regular cleaning of the plant to remove old foliages is recommended. In case of any disease development, you can consult with the local horticulturist for appropriate preventive measures.

Spray the S. arboricola plants with a good quality liquid fertilizer once in every month. If maintained with proper caring tips, this plant grows for many decades. As Dwarf umbrella tree is tolerant to a wide range of growing conditions, you can create an attractive indoor bonsai out of it by following the basic procedures for making bonsai. The retention of green foliages round the year and the presence of aerial roots are some of the attractive features that make dwarf umbrella tree a perfect plant for training as bonsai.