Krohn Conservatory Bonsai #5 - Umbrella Tree
Scientific Name:
- Schefflera arboricola
Species
- Umbrella Tree
Type of Tree
Bonsai Style:
Bonsai Tree Size:
This umbrella tree was donated by Bonsai Society member Ken Moore in 1996. It is a clump style with aerial roots from three trees.
The pot is oval, unglazed, brown in color and is 3 inches deep.
The Schefflera genus is named in honor of Johann Peter Ernst von Scheffler (born in 1739,) physician and botanist of Gdańsk, and later of Warsaw, Poland.
It is a flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, native to Taiwan and Hainan Province, China, and Australia. Its common name is dwarf umbrella tree, as it resembles a smaller version of the umbrella tree, heptapleurum actinophyllum.
Schefflera arboricola has larger leaves than other species. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about this plant is the fact that it acts as a natural air freshener and detoxifier.
Q. What do “circa” and “in training” mean?
A. The circa date is roughly the year when the tree sprouted from its seed. The in training date is the year that it started being “trained” as a bonsai, which is to direct the growth of the tree usually by bending, pruning, and wiring its branches into a desired direction or shape.
It can be susceptible to spider mites, mealy bugs, and aphids. Treat with horticultural oil or malathion.