Schefflera Taiwaniana or Taiwan Umbrella Tree

Schefflera Taiwaniana is an evergreen frost-hardy perennial shrub with exotic-looking foliage and spiky flowers. It’s a good choice for architectural gardens and tropical-style gardens.

Schefflera Taiwaniana is commonly known as the Taiwan Umbrella Tree. As its name suggests, it’s native to Taiwan where it grows in coniferous forests at 2-3,000 metre elevation.

Its main attraction is dramatic glossy green leaves that reach up to six inches long. Eleven leaflets grow from a central stalk, (which is called palmately compound). New silver-haired foliage emerges in spring and fades to a smooth glossy surface as it matures. In summer, sprays of green-brown flowers emerge on tall spikes and attract pollinators before ripening to purple berries in winter.  

Taiwan Umbrella Tree offers handsome tropical flair and an exotic feel all year round.

Height and Spread of Schefflera Taiwaniana
The tropical-looking beauty reaches two metres in height and spread.

How Hardy is Schefflera Taiwaniana
Taiwan Umbrella Tree is frost hardy in warmer areas of the UK, but it needs shelter from wind and a horticultural fleece cover in periods of extended frost and snow.
In summer, it needs consistently moist soil, but it’s rarely attacked by pests or diseases.

How To Use Schefflera Taiwaniana
This architectural shrub is a dramatic addition to tropical gardens that deal with frost. It provides a good-sized year-round display of interesting shapes and colours. It’s also a welcome addition to woodland gardens, Japanese-style spaces, and thrives in a sun-trap urban setting. Alternatively, it makes an excellent conservatory shrub.

How To Care For Schefflera Taiwaniana
This warmth-loving tree prefers full sun or semi-shade in sheltered borders.
Rich, humus-packed fertile soil brings the best results and to keep its foliage in tip-top shape, it shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. If your soil is clay or chalk, beef it up with lots of rotten organic matter before planting your Taiwan Umbrella Tree and annually mulch it with organic matter.

It is possible to grow this beauty in a well-watered and fed container to brighten up a sunny balcony or deck. Be sure to keep the soil moist, and use regular fertilizer during the spring to summer growing months.

Pruning isn’t required, but wayward or damaged branches should be removed in winter.

In extended cold snaps, cover its foliage with horticultural fleece and cover the base with straw to protect its roots.