Octopus Tree Heptapleurum arboricola

Although the dwarf umbrella tree may grow 10-15 feet tall when planted outside in South Florida, this tropical plant can be grown indoors and will only get from 4 to 6 feet high and wide in a container. It should be placed in a southern, western, or eastern exposure with filtered light (eg. sheer curtain) for 3 to 4 hours daily. While it can tolerate some full sun outdoors, as a houseplant, bright, direct light will burn the leaves. Allow the soil to dry out and then thoroughly soak it with water. This plant likes high humidity and a well-drained potting medium rich in organic matter. The humidity around the plant can be raised by placing the container on a tray of wet pebbles (the water line should be below the surface of the pebbles so that the pot is not sitting directly in water).

The dwarf umbrella tree will rarely produce flowers when grown indoors but can safely be put outside in a sheltered location when temperatures will not dip below 60 degrees.

The dwarf umbrella may used as an indoor potted plant. In areas where the plant is winter hardy, consider using the plant as a specimen, accent, or hedge. All parts of this plant are seriously toxic to dogs and cats. 

Quick ID HInts:

• evergreen shrub or small tree growing 10 to 25 feet tall when grown in tropical areas
• 3 to 6 feet tall, smaller ornamental when grown as a houseplant 
• the leaves are evergreen, glossy, compound, palmate and arranged in a circle on the leafstalks.
• each leaf has 7 to 9 leaflets that are obovate, oblong, to elliptic
• tiny red flowers appear in compound panicles
• small round orange drupes become black when mature 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Red spider mites, mealybugs and scale can be a serious problem. If the soil is too wet or too dry the leave will drop off. No serious disease problems.