Schefflera actinophylla Queensland Umbrella Tree

[Bretts]

This one came from my mother in laws garden. For some reason she buys a plant and places it on the garden bed in it's nursery pot
Of Course when she did it with this umbrella tree the roots escaped through the bottom. Although not much I guessed there was enough roots inside the pot and just cut it off at soil level.
Here it is potted up in it's new bucket almost 4 years ago.

umbrella3.jpg

Two years ago during the yearly root training I realised that it could easily fit in a pot I had bought for the seiju elm. That was perfect because I had decided not to put the seiju in it for now.
This was it the other day after spending Winter inside. It has been a bit of hit and miss with training at the moment jumping back and forth between branch and leader thickening and leaf size reduction when showing it off.

umbrella.jpg

I had bought a Pat Kennedy pot for the seiju this year but as that is getting all new branches this year it had no need for it. I had searched the collection many times wondering what I was going to put in the pot but thought It was going to spend the season empty. I always forgot about the umbrella tree as it was inside, until the other day. So this is twice this tree has jumped in the seiju's shoes.
The root ball has now been soughted to only the lateral roots so there should be good development there this year and I think I will just concentrate on leaf size reduction this year.

umbrella2.jpg

[Jow]

I wouldn't worry too much about leaf reduction myself. I think far to greater an emphasis is placed on small leaves when really the real beauty of deciduous (or defoliatable) species is really the naked branch structure. I would focus all the trees energy into ramification. Usually leaf reduction is a side product of this anyway.

Nice start, and its in a beautiful pot!

Keep us updated.

[Bretts]

Thanks Jow. I think it is the changing of the trees that gets me in more than anything at the moment. As the new spring growth
burst forward the setting of the leaves and the Autumn colour brilliance at the end of the season and the naked branches waiting to start again.
Anyway I never thought much about training this to look good while defoliated. I have seen plenty of figs shown on forums defoliated but I would not have thought they where shown that way? Off course this structure will improve the overall appearance of the tree defoliated as well as in leaf and is very important but I would think the in leaf form would be the aim of the end result.
I haven't found any information on reducing the leaf size of Umbrella so all I have done in the past is keep removing the biggest leaves. I could cut the first branch on the right back some to improve ramification but I think this branch will thicken better this year left long and will also fit in this way to any leaf reduction work.
Could you suggest what you would do at this stage to improve ramification?

[Bretts]

Took Danica to tell me I stuffed up the heading and called it a bottle tree
I have edited the heading but that has left replies with the mistake in the heading
Can a mod help me out

Reply by Steven;
Yes

[Jow]

I don't and or haven't grown these but i imagine that a combination of letting them grow out a little then cutting them back combined with defoliation would probably do the trick. Make sure to feed a lot to make sure they have the energy to create new buds.

In regards to winter silhouette, i am pretty sure i have seen figs from Taiwan shown defoliated.....

[Ash]

Hi, I think this one is Schefflera arboricola, one of the smaller leafed umbrella trees so you already have a head start!

[Bretts]

Ok pretty much what I have been doing although it may not look like it I thought I might concentrate on leaf reduction this year to start with to see what happens. There is not alot of info out there about training them so I will have to just keep plucking away for now. I have noticed a bud on the first right branch that would work well so will have to wait and see how long I can keep the branch cutters away from that branch.
I enjoy working at reducing the leaves on Figs I would rather judge one with leaves on I think.

Maybe Ash I will have a look but I will drag out another old pic that shows how much the leaves have reduced already.

[Bretts]

Here is a pic of the tree when it was left to grow wild in the shade house. One of the international guys on viewing this pic thought it was a very large leaf variety and no good for bonsai but after viewing the trunk changed his mind.

umbrella5.jpg

As contrast this would be about the smallest I have had the leaves so far last Summer taking pictures for the Native picture comp
I don't thin k it is the species you specify Ash

[Bretts]

Can any Aussie experts clarify wether this is a Native?

[bodhidharma]

wikkipedia says it is native to rain forests in australia, new guinea and india

[Bretts]

Yep But is that the one that I have

[bodhidharma]

sorry bretts cant help. nice looking stump though

[Jerry Meislik]

Brett,
Nice tree. I am working with both the large leaf Brassaia and the dwarf Scheff. It looks like you have the Brassaia, large leaf. My experience is defoliation and removal of the growth tips as well as full sun will help in getting back breaks as well as branching. Leaf reduction on the Brassaia is short lived and large leaves grow in before too long. Once the plant is in large leaf mode I leave the small leaves and remove large ones.
Regards.
Jerry

[Pup]

Yep But is that the one that I have

Brett if indeed yours is actinophylla, it is indeed a native. Of Queensland and N.S.W.
It prefers light to medium moist soils in an open sunny position. It is frost tender but drought tolerant.
I have never grown one so I am only quoting Encyclopaedia Botanica.

Pup