Houseplant portrait Schefflera, ray aralia

Who does not know her? The Schefflera or ray aralia is really ubiquitous as a houseplant. We reveal what makes the leaf jewelry plant so popular and what you should pay attention to when caring for it.

The Schefflera is always at the forefront in surveys of the most popular houseplant. But it is also an exceptionally beautiful leafy ornamental plant and is also persistent, vigorous and wonderfully easy to care for. So it's no wonder that you can find them not only in many houses and apartments, but also in the office and at work. Here they are valued above all for their air-cleaning effect: the Schefflera uses its leaves to filter pollutants from the air, thus improving the indoor climate.

This is what the Schefflera looks like

The Schefflera is characterized by a slim and upright growth. It increases in height by about 30 centimeters per year and ultimately becomes over two meters high as a houseplant. In her home country of Taiwan, she grows into a veritable tree over the years. Its glossy green leaves are arranged in a hand or a ray shape - hence the nickname "ray aralia". Anyone who has ever seen the flowers of the Schefflera in our latitudes can count themselves lucky: as a houseplant, it only flowers very rarely. Older Scheffleras sometimes give you pleasure and show green-yellow panicles from July to August. Then yellow to orange-red berries develop that contain the seeds.

A suitable location can be found quickly

As long as the Schefflera does not get direct sunlight or drafts, it actually thrives anywhere in the house. A bright to partially shaded location is ideal. Since it does not grow very expansively, it is ideal for greening niches and corners or full office spaces.

Soil and repotting

The right time to repot the Schefflera has come when the roots are already growing out of the drainage holes.

Photo: MSG / Martin Staffler

You can put the Schefflera in conventional houseplant soil or keep it in hydroponic. Since it grows so quickly, it has to be repotted at first annually, later a little less frequently. You can tell when the pot is rooted and the roots are already curling out of the drainage holes.

Practical tip: When repotting, carefully examine the roots of your Schefflera. It is good practice to cut off dead or putrid pieces before placing the plant in its new pot. You can also get rid of very long roots in this way.

You can't avoid cutting the Schefflera

The Schefflera is one of the few houseplants that actually require regular pruning. The reason for this is that, as you know from the trees and trees outside in the garden, it lignifies. If you keep shortening the main shoots and the side shoots again and again, this will result in denser growth. To do this, place the secateurs just above a bud or a branch fork. If the radiation aralia is too high, you can simply cut the tip. If it has lost many leaves in winter, a cut stimulates the formation of new shoots.

Watering and fertilizing

You don't have to overdo it with watering at the Schefflera. The soil should always be slightly damp, but never really wet - otherwise the houseplant will react with root rot.

The radiation aralia, on the other hand, is happy about sufficient nutrients. In winter it is enough to fertilize once a month, otherwise a little liquid flower fertilizer should be added to the irrigation water every week.

Further care of the Schefflera

Do you have a terrace? Then your Schefflera can spend the summer outdoors. Place them in a partially shaded place protected from wind and rain. From temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius, however, it should move back into the house.

For further care, it is advisable to dust the large leaves of the Schefflera regularly or to wash off the plant completely. This keeps them healthy and the leaves stay shiny.

The Schefflera grows into a stately tree in its tropical home. As a houseplant, it can reach a size of over two meters with us.

Photo: Pflanzenfreude.de

So it can be multiplied

The Schefflera can be propagated by sowing. However, patience is required: it can take two to three weeks alone for the seeds to germinate. It is much easier and more promising to cut non-woody cuttings and place them in a glass of water or in warm earth. Here they usually form roots quickly.

Tips against diseases and pests

The radiation aralia is very robust, with the exception of root rot, it is never actually affected by diseases. The common houseplant pests also don't stop at her: scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs or aphids can occur especially in winter.

A few more variety recommendations

If the "normal" Schefflera is too boring, there is a wide range of varieties of the Schefflera arboricola available. These differ both in their leaf shape and in their leaf color. For example, 'Diane' and 'Renate' have slotted leaves, 'Beauty' and 'Gold Capella' have bright yellow or white-green patterned leaves.

Ulrike Hanninger Redaktion Haus.de