Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

Umbrella tree has woody stems that can grow from 6 to 9 meters long. The leaves are bright green in color growing from 6 to 12 mm long. The flowers are pink in color, arm-like figures that resemble an octopus.
The fruit is a fleshy drupe, 3-12 cm big with hard-coated seeds in groups of ten.
(Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition.)

In Hawaii only the tree's flowers are used for decoration and lei making.

Native to Australia, New Guinea and Java, the Umbrella Tree, Schefflera actinophylla, is very common in South Florida and the warmer parts of Central Florida. Schefflera is also seen indoors as a houseplant all over the world.
(Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition.)

Birds and insects such as bees and flies are the pollinators of Umbrella tree.
(NTBG. 2003. Internal Notes.)

The Octopus tree is an introduced, highly invasive species in Hawaii. This plant or tree is usually found at low to middle elevations on Kaua'i, Maui, O'ahu, and Hawai'i.
(NTBG. 2003. Internal Notes.)

We currently have 14 herbarium specimens for Schefflera actinophylla in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.

• 001825 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1985
• 001826 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1985
• 001824 - collected by Richard A. Howard in 1985
• 001827 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1987
• 001828 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1987
• 062952 - collected by Art Whistler in 1995
• 037221 - collected by Art Whistler in 1995
• 083774 - collected by Art Whistler in 1999
• 037024 - collected by Hank Oppenheimer in 2001
• 045507 - collected by Hank Oppenheimer in 2006
• 055942 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2011
• 055941 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2011
• 067919 - collected by Jesse Adams in 2013
• 067920 - collected by Jesse Adams in 2013