Temperature
60–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Dwarf umbrella tree
Heptapleurum arboricola
Dwarf umbrella tree wants bright indirect light and water every 7 to 14 days, once the top two inches are dry. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or two to three feet back from a south one. In low light it goes leggy fast and never fills back in.
Water
Every 7–14 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top two inches are dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
40% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 50%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 2 of 5: Scores 2 of 5: fast, forgiving and easy to prune back into shape. Loses points for attracting scale more reliably than almost anything else indoors.
Habit
Upright
Grows to 24–96 inches. No support needed.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans — poison severity low
Contains insoluble calcium oxalates. Reported signs include oral irritation, intense burning of mouth and tongue, excessive drooling.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says 2 sources concur
- ASPCA — entry for a different species in this genus: Schefflera
- Toxic to cats and dogs · insoluble calcium oxalates
- NC State Extension
- Poison severity: Low · calcium oxalate crystals · It is harmful to cats and dogs if leaves are chewed. Intense mouth and throat irritation results in excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, and vomiting. Sap can be irritating to people with sensitive skin. Use gloves as a precaution.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or two to three feet back from a south one. In low light it goes leggy fast and never fills back in.
Water
Every 7 to 14 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top two inches are dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top two inches are dry |
Soil and potting
Two parts potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 2 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Leggy growth monitor
- Leaf drop this week
- Yellow leaves this week
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-12.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Scale insects this week
- Spider mites act today
- Mealybugs this week
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 21 to 42 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 21–42 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Schefflera Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Heptapleurum arboricola Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q65940871 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Heptapleurum arboricola Checked 2026-09-12.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Heptapleurum arboricola Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: JMK, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02