Araliaceae FAMILY

Schefflera umbellifera

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitSemi-deciduous Tree

Growth—

This is not a tree for very dry areas^[1]. Young trees are frost sensitive, but older trees can tolerate moderate frosts^[1]. The tree has large thick roots, it should not be planted too close to buildings, pools or paving^[1].

Propagation

Seed - it germinates best if it has previously passed through the digestive system of a bird, since the digestive juices help to break down the seed wall^[1]. Sow in a shady position in a nursery seedbed or in containers and keep moist. Germination can take place within 4 - 6 weeks^[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Schefflera+umbellifera>

Pollinators

Insects

References

[1]PlantZAfrica.com — http://www.plantzafrica.com ↩︎An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
[2]African Flowering Plants Database — Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. · http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php ↩︎Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
[3]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.