Dwarf umbrella tree
Schefflera arboricola, shrub, evergreen
Water a dwarf umbrella tree when the soil is dry a few centimetres down, which indoors means every 4–12 days in summer and every 7–19 in winter. It wants plenty of light but not the hot midday sun, and starts to suffer below 10 °C (50 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Dwarf umbrella tree at a glance
Water, indoors
4–12
days in summer
7–19
days in winter
When the soil is dry a few centimetres down.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
5–10 °C
It starts to suffer between 5 and 10 °C (41–50 °F).
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Growth
It’s a shrub.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed. Remove dead or damaged branches.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. The light is right, as long as the hot midday sun doesn’t hit the leaves through the glass.
- Indoors, away from the window. With less light it grows more slowly and new leaves come in smaller. If you can, move the pot closer to the window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. This suits it: outdoors, bright shade is the light it likes best.
- Outdoors, in the sun. Full sun scorches its leaves, so move the pot into the shade, at least for the hottest hours.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 4–12 days. Heat dries the soil faster, so feel it more often.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 7–19 days, and more often near a radiator, because warm air dries the soil.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 7–19 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 4–12 days, so in the sun feel it often.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 10 °C (50 °F). Bring the pot indoors before the first cold nights.
How often to water a dwarf umbrella tree
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 6–16 days
Usually every 10 days. Feel the soil first, and water when it is dry a few centimetres down.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 12 days | 7–19 days |
| February | every 12 days | 7–19 days |
| March | every 11 days | 6–17 days |
| April | every 9 days | 6–15 days |
| May | every 8 days | 5–13 days |
| June | every 8 days | 4–12 days |
| July | every 8 days | 4–12 days |
| August | every 8 days | 4–12 days |
| September | every 8 days | 5–13 days |
| October | every 10 days | 6–16 days |
| November | every 11 days | 7–18 days |
| December | every 12 days | 7–19 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Dwarf umbrella tree: questions and answers
How often should you water a dwarf umbrella tree in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 12 days (between 7 and 19), compared with every 8 in July. The longest gaps run from December to February.
How can you tell when a dwarf umbrella tree needs water?
When the soil is dry a few centimetres down, not just on the surface.
How much light does a dwarf umbrella tree need?
Plenty of light, without the direct midday sun, which can scorch the leaves. Indoors it does well near a bright window, and further from the window it grows more slowly.
Is a dwarf umbrella tree toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can a dwarf umbrella tree take?
It starts to suffer from the cold somewhere between 5 and 10 °C (41–50 °F). If it spends the summer outside, bring the pot in before nights drop below 10 °C, and in winter keep it away from cold glass and draughts.
When should you repot a dwarf umbrella tree?
When the roots fill the pot.
How do you prune a dwarf umbrella tree?
No regular pruning needed. Cut out any diseased or damaged shoots, and any that are crowded or cross each other. You can also take out shoots that grow where you don’t want them.
How can you tell if a dwarf umbrella tree is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as leaves turning yellow, soft brown patches on the leaves and leaves drooping even though the soil is wet. Too little shows as leaves drooping, leaves and buds dropping and young shoots drying out.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
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