skip to main content

California Gardening

Anybody seen dwarf Schefflera flower outdoors?

stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area

15 years ago

I have a fine(if i do say do myself) Variegated dwarf Schefflera growing outdoors.It's about 10' tall,8' wide.I pruned wider side branches back as I'm just plain running out of room. After a summer of heavy feeding it looks glossy,the yellow bright. In other warm summer areas they bloom red panicles. I just havent read of them in California flowering and any info as to when or other plant data.

I have to think it has done it in SouCal..just havent heard of it let alone seen photos. What do ya know?-lol.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

gobluedjm 9/18 CA
15 years ago
I have one here in socal but it is kept indoors. It would fry in the heat in summer and in winter...well I get frost.
I would love to see a pic of yours so big!
User
15 years ago
My bonsai'd one flowers every year Stan, I'll have to get a pic for you.
Related Discussions
Schefflera Amate vs Schefflera Amate Soleil
Q
Comments (4)
Not much info is right. I think its a cross of S. actinophylla and S.arboricola. For me in the SF Bay area the larger Schefflera is hit and miss..some big ones. S.arboracola is very hardy here. So I guess I should expect Amate to be 10 a- low end- hardy. But other things like..will it flower? No information on that. No info on growth speed. And a photo of one outdoors in California is nowhere to be found. I would think its going be less gangly and less invasive root wise,then the common Shefflera. ALL guesses.
...See More
8 foot schefflera in the office!
Q
Comments (7)
1) 24-8-16 is the % of NPK in Miracle-Gro All-Purpose granular soluble fertilizer. It is widely available. 12-4-8 is the same RATIO (3:1:2) in liquid form. We sometimes talk about ratios, and sometimes %s. 24-8-16 and 12-4-8 have the exact same ratio of 3:1:2, but the 24-8-16 is twice as concentrated as the 12-4-8 ... you only need half as much to make the same strength solution. 2) Though in some cases, and on some trees, that is partially true, I'm going to give you a 'NO' answer. In order for scheffs to reliably back-bud, you need to remove the apical meristem (very tip of the branch) and the last leaf or two. This stops branch extension and forces back-budding/new branching. 3) Branches will occur randomly behind the pruning cut. In scheffs, unlike most other trees, there is no way to predict where new branching will occur, but since a pruned branch can no longer extend, the energy the tree is allocating to that branch needs to go somewhere. The tree compensates by growing new branches. Knowing how to manipulate a plant's hormonal influences is the basis for all pruning techniques/procedures. Al
...See More
2016 Contest - Dwarf Project: New Big Dwarf
Q
Comments (193)
I like to get my seeds from vendors that grew their plants in areas similar to mine, if possible (however, most places are pretty different). The reason I like to do this is acclimatization. If a plant gets used to growing in a greenhouse, or a vastly different region, it might take a few years of growing in your climate to get it acclimatized sufficiently. I think acclimatization to your own personal soil and water is as important as acclimatization to the climate, however. Seeds from my friend a couple miles away just don't grow the same in my soil. Even my neighbor's yard is different with seeds from the same seed packet. When I say they don't grow the same, I mean the production and taste is different. The plants can still seem healthy.
...See More
Schefflera tip: what happens next?
Q
Comments (60)
The original plant of this discussion looks like S. arboricola, often referred to as dwarf. A plant of smaller stature and slower growth. http://garden.org/plants/view/74359/Umbrella-Tree-Schefflera-arboricola/ The bigger one is S. actinophylla, a much bigger plant that needs more sun. My house isn't big enough to get involved with one of those. http://garden.org/plants/view/74357/Umbrella-Tree-Schefflera-actinophylla/
...See More
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
Original Author
15 years ago
Gonzer,About what time of year does it flower?..is it the all green or variegated?
Man-you got's to take a pic because there are NO net pics of one in California doing that.
Here in Hayward there is an all green pushing three stories,a variegated pushing two. I have never caught them in flower-if they have.
bahia
15 years ago
Stan,
I've only seen them flower in climates that are consistently warmer than here in the SF Bay Area, in climates that are more like USDA zone 10b or 11. I also have huge specimens of both the straight green and variegated forms that have been planted out for years, but never any signs of bloom or berries. The ones I have seen blooming and/or with berries were in southern Spain, (Marbella), which has weather more like San Diego than the SF Bay Area. They are said to flower in late fall/early winter in habitat,(Taiwan), so it may be that we just aren't warm enough at this time of year to trigger blooming. I have never seen Schefflera actinophylla bloom here either, while Schefflera pueckleri regularly blooms and sets seed in my garden, but it is more odd than showy in fruit and bloom.
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
Original Author
15 years ago
I have seen those photos of them in Spain(someplace,i cant recall) used as small street trees.In bloom they are just as showy as actinophlla..just orange colored instead of red.Just have never heard of any in California doing that. I wonder if Gonzer's Bonsai isn't arboricola but actinophylla maybe?
I took those side branches and am now trying to root them as standards. Since seeing them grown that way at H.D of all places.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Attract Hummingbirds and Bees With These Beautiful Summer Flowers

By Annie Thornton

Roll out a welcome mat for pollinators to keep your landscape in balance and thriving

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Boxwood Alternatives Bring the Chelsea Flower Show to You

Don’t let box blight limit your plans to borrow garden design ideas from the renowned British event

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Chinese Lantern

By Annie Thornton

Light the way to visual delight in the garden with Chinese lantern's papery blooms and pretty colors

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Walker's Low Catmint

By Annie Thornton

Prolific purple blooms, fragrant leaves, and cold-hardiness makes this a go-to plant for almost any garden

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Sun-Loving Bougainvillea Showers Yards With Color

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Bring unbeatable vibrancy to a garden or wall with this unfussy and trainable shrub packed with colorful bracts

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Scotch Heather

By Annie Thornton

The moors aren't all moody, as this prettily colored evergreen shrub proves. Plant it en masse for an epic romance in your own garden

FLOWERS Great Design Plant: Joe Pye Weed

By Becky Harris

This unsung beauty tolerates wet soil, provides beautiful late summer blooms and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Tips for Beginning Gardeners

By Laura Gaskill

With a simple sketch, basic tools and the right plants, you’ll be on your way to growing your first flowers or edibles

URBAN GARDENS Unwind in an Enclosed Garden Sanctuary — Outdoors or In

Refresh your spirits amid the beauty of a walled garden or an interior courtyard designed with thoughtful plantings

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Plants for Colorful Fall Blooms in the Drought-Tolerant Garden

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Want fall color but not a big water bill? Consider these not-too-thirsty fall bloomers

Sponsored

Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers

49 Reviews

Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!

More Discussions

Can I transplant a large plumeria to a different pot now, in November

0

too little sun for UC Verde, or other buff? zone 22

6

suburban raccoon - should I do anything?

1

pruning fig tree

2

Do you defoliate your roses?

18