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garddwr

By Garddwr

United Kingdom Gb

Can you please tell me if an Umbrella plant will survive outside. Mine is possibly 10ft tall and taking over the only space tall enough! I have a south facing veranda and wonder whether it could be happy there.




Answers

 

If you mean Schefflera (previously called Heptapleurum), no, it won't survive a winter outside. I've had one of these for 30 years, but it's not the original plant any more - when it gets too tall, I chop the tops off, taking about 8 or 10 inches of stem, just above a leaf joint, then strip off the lower pair of leaves and pop them in a bottle of water - 6 weeks later, they've produced good roots, and I pot them up and either give away or dispose of the parent plant, although last year, I did plant the parent in the border. Needless to say, it didn't make it through the winter. Works best at this time of year.

2 Mar, 2011

 

Yes, I saw an article recently that suggested that this plant may survive outdoors in the south in a sheltered spot, so I was interested to see what Bamboo would say. I doubted it myself, and it certainly wouldn't have got through this winter! What a shame, I hate it when house plants out-grow their space. I wonder if the local nursing home, or even an office, might like it for their reception area and you could have the cuttings...or buy a new one for yourself!

2 Mar, 2011

 

Well, Karensusan, I went down and checked it yesterday, the one outside I mean - its got no leaves apart from a few shrivelled ones at the top, but when I clipped off a bit of stem, it was sappy, surprisingly, not just a dead stick. I will report back if it starts growing leaves again...

3 Mar, 2011

 

mmmmm.....interesting...the plot thickens! :))

3 Mar, 2011

How do I say thanks?

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