Schefflera actinophylla (common names: Australian Ivy-palm)

This sounds like a flower spike, it must be a happy plant! Scefflera is in the Araliaceae family. For some great photos.. google Araliaceae and go to the Vascular plant image library. Isn't the Web great sometimes!

I have one as a houseplant too, but they must be a miniature variety.

Sorry, I meant that mine would never flower, as I prune it back every few months. I think it would be amazing to see my little potted plants in all their majesty in their natural settings...

No Grammazoo, this tree is huge already, this is one of its lower branches. I will never prune it, but when it flowers, I will take a picture, don't worry. Your houseplant could be a smaller variety, there is one I saw it at the nursery the other day, in a pot!

Another of my 'houseplants'. No wonder i have to keep trimming it back! Would love to see a photo when your flowers, as I doubt this ever wiil , being pruned continously.

Well yes, this is really a 6-8 meter tree and they can even get bigger. You wouldn't want those in your home. They get long upright stems with red berry like flowers, about 20 or so in a bunch. I think perhaps the houseplants are a different specie, a smaller, more ornamental variety.

I have the house plant version as well. I didn't know that they flowered, maybe only outside, eh?

look forward to seeing the flowers

Very huge! Mine is 'Schefflera arboricola compacta', much smaller species & still needs regular pruning.

Haha, you wouldn't want these in your home. You see them here everywhere, some even say it is a weed! I am still waiting for this one to flower, whilst I have seen others in bloom. I am a bit envious, lol. Thanks for looking at my pics.

Bit bigger than mine aswell.

Bit bigger than my house plant.

Wow, we have those here, but indoor ones, it is nice to see how tall it can get.

I'm sure they are, since they are native to your area. LOL.

Haha, a very familiar sight for me.

Thank you guys, it is a lovely tree ( only 1 there, would you believe ) and it has so many fresh new lighter coloured leaves. These all come from one point and like an umbrella sit on long stems from that point. Hope I make myself clear. Very decorative and shady too.

gorgeous !

What a dramatic plant. Really beautiful.

Really gorgeous shaped leaves....I love the way they hang down!

What a wonderful textured look these give to an area...I love it, Marguerite.

They look like umbrellas..another great plant

I am not happy about the common name Peter gives here in the index. This definitely is called the umbrella tree.

I live in an area that can and has dropped to 0. F. These Aurucarias have survived in WA. state for some 80 years. Many of the older ones do bear fruit and their fall can be painful.

This guy or gal is a spinster with nary any company nearby, but is loaded with what I suppose are unfertilized cones. I really do not know -- .

I thought monkey puzzle trees could grow in colder climates. I have seen them in a pinetum in Holland and even my sister has one in her garden. They are ok, I am not fond of them, so little foliage. Yes, like all pine trees they should bear fruit. This photo is not taken by me, my camera would not have made it! I asked my daughter to take it with hers, a NikonD80, which has proven to be a fantastic camera.

That is one GREAT close-up. Great photography.

I so miss some of these plants that were at home in parts of CA. That said I neglected to take a snapshot of a Monkey Puzzle tree full of seedpods or what appeared to be so. I told my friend I should scamper up and collect a few.
The squirrel in me is sometimes very foolish.

Either this is a male tree or a female unfertilized. I am not sure. Monkey Puzzle trees do bear fruit up here and you do not want to in a hammock underneath if they fall. These were small, more pinecone in shape. I will have to upload a picture and you can comment on it.

I have a schefflera as a house plant! it's about 7 ft tall.... - a friend(on facebook) from Australia (Queensland) had a picture of the blossom on hers...otherwise I'd never have known it bloomed! I love mine...it's a wonderful plant. great pic. Marguerite!