houseplant shefflera

The genus Schefflera (Schefflera) belongs to the Araliaceae family. In nature, these decorative leafy plants are common in East Asia, China, Japan, and Vietnam. The name of the genus was given in honor of the German botanist of the 18th century I. Scheffler, a friend of K. Linnaeus. The sheffler plant blooms extremely rarely at room conditions.

Description of types of shefflers

At home, more than ten types of shefflers are cultivated. Photos and descriptions of these plants are given below.
Schefflera radiant (Schefflera actinophilla,) is a fast-growing tree reaching a height of 2.5-3 m. The leaves of an adult developed shoot have 16 leaflets, initially ovate, then oblong, up to 15 cm long and 5 cm wide, blunt at the end.

Schefflera digitata is a more compact plant with leaves divided into eight elliptical leaflets, pointed at the end and with bright veins.

Schefflera tree-like (Schefflera arboricola) is a highly branched plant with graceful palmate-compound leaves on long petioles, consisting of 7-16 leaflets. The leaves are dense, leathery, shiny, 9-15 cm long and 5-8 cm wide, usually pointed at the end. Indoor sheffler tree flower grows on average up to 1-1.2 m. Variegated forms are also common.

Popular varieties:

Sheffler “Geisha Girl” – with dark green leaves rounded at the end.

“Hayata” – with narrowed at the ends, oval-elongated light green leaves.

Variety Schefflera “Variegata” – with dark green leaves with yellow spots.

‘Janine’ is a compact cultivar with forked-tipped and rounded dark green leaves with wide cream stripes and spots.

Schefflera eight-leaved (Schefflera octophylla) is found in culture much less frequently than the previous species. The leaves have 8-12 oblong-lanceolate leaflets with a pointed apex up to 30 cm long and 10 cm wide, sitting on long drooping petioles. The leaves are shiny, leathery; young – olive color, old – light green. The underside of the leaves is matte. The veins are lighter than the leaf blade.

Sheffler indoor flower care at home

Scheffler is quite unpretentious. Prefers bright diffused light, but also grows in partial shade. Variegated forms are demanding of light. In summer, the plant is taken out to fresh air. In winter they are kept at 14-16°C. At temperatures above 20 ° C, drafts and temperature changes, the plant sheds leaves.
Water moderately, but regularly – the plant does not tolerate overdrying of an earthy coma. When caring for a shefflera at home, one should not forget to monitor the temperature of the soil – it should not be lower than the air temperature. That is why the plant is watered with warm water. Sheffler is also regularly sprayed.
They are fed in spring and summer once a week, alternating complex mineral and organic fertilizers, in winter – once a month. Transplanted every two years, using a soil mixture of soddy, leafy, humus soil and sand (2: 1: 1: 1).

Sheffler breeding

Propagated by apical or semi-lignified stem cuttings. For good rooting, it is necessary to use root stimulants and bottom heating of the substrate. The soil mixture is prepared from peat, leaf, humus soil and sand (1: 1: 1: 1). Reproduction by seeds, air layering is possible. Seeds are sown in January-February.
When breeding shefflers use peat and sand, mixed in equal parts. The substrate is watered or moistened with a spray bottle and placed in a warm place. Maintain the temperature within 20-24°C. When the seedlings have two or three leaves, they are dived into pots and kept for the first three months at a temperature of 18-20 ° C. After the young plants have covered the entire earthen ball with their roots, they are transplanted into pots with a diameter of 7-9 cm and kept in a well-lit place at an air temperature of 14-16 ° C. With excessive dryness of the air, the sheffler indoor plant is harmed by scale insects and spider mites.

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