How to take a Schefflera cutting

Schefflera, not Sheflera as sometimes spelled, is a lovely bush that brings exotic feel with its superb palmate, dark green foliage. Well known as decorative plant indoors, some hardy species adapt very well to gardens, in shade or partial shade. Undemanding and easy to grow, it can also be propagated by cuttings to produce a new young plant. These cuttings will help to enhance garden or home and even extend a jungle garden.

Discover when and how to take a cutting of Schefflera, with our illustrated tutorial.

Schefflera taiwaniana

When to take cuttings of Schefflera?

Best time to take Schefflera cuttings is between June and September. This is the season when warmth and sunlight are most favourable for root development, even for a Schefflera propagated by cutting indoors.

Note: umbrella tree can also be propagated by air layering.

Equipment required

For successful umbrella tree cuttings, you will need:

one or more pots at least 15 to 20 cm in diameter, with drainage holes in bottom of pot.
a spray bottle
a pencil
clay pebbles
a pruning shear cleaned with alcohol beforehand to avoid disease spread
a cloche or a large plastic bottle (approx. 5 litres) or a plastic bag or a mini-greenhouse to cover the cuttings.
seed and potting compost or a mix of 2/3 turf and 1/3 garden sand
Facultative: a root activator

How to take Schefflera cuttings under cover?

1- Place a 2–3 cm layer of clay pebbles in base of pot to aid drainage.

2- Top up with seed and potting compost until 2 cm from rim of pot, then firm lightly by hand.

3- Using a watering can or spray bottle, water the compost, preferably with rainwater. Substrate should be moist but not waterlogged.

4- Make a hole 4–5 cm deep with pencil.

Note: you can put one, two, three or even four cuttings per pot, depending on desired effect.

Make a 4–5 cm deep hole and moisten compost

4- Select healthy stems on your bush, preferably without flowers. Then, using a pruning shear, cut 4 to 5 stems each with at least 4 or 5 nodes (a node is point where a leaf attaches to stem). Stem length will be between 5 and 15 centimetres depending on variety.

5- Trim stem just below lowest node, i.e. under a leaf. Roots will emerge from these nodes.

Select and cut a healthy stem

6- Remove lower leaves from cutting with pruning shear and keep only top leaf. This avoids exhausting cuttings through excessive transpiration from foliage. Also remove any flowers.

Cut stem just below a node and remove lower leaves

7- Facultative: you can gently tap base of cuttings into rooting plant hormone to encourage root development.

8- Plant your stem in pot, burying bottom three nodes in soil.

9- Firm compost gently around cutting to keep it upright and remove air pockets.

10- Water again if needed.

11- Place a cloche over stem to maintain humid atmosphere. This is called taking cuttings under cover. If no cloche is available, use a large plastic bottle without base or a clear bag held up with stakes. Be careful that stem and leaves do not touch cloche to prevent mould forming!

Plant stem and cover with cloche

12- Keep compost slightly moist at all times, but not waterlogged.

13- Place pot in bright position, but out of direct sun. Indoors, place pot near north-, east- or west-facing window and behind a sheer curtain if on south side.

14- Every 3–4 days, lift cloche for half an hour to refresh air.

15- After 2–3 months, roots of your Schefflera cutting will have developed sufficiently. You can then remove cloche and repot young plants into a larger pot if needed.

16- For first winter, protect young shoots by keeping them in a bright room indoors, in a conservatory or even in an unheated greenhouse.

17- The following spring, you can plant, if you wish, your small bush in open ground. It will prefer a rich, well‑drained soil that stays slightly moist, never dry, in semi‑shade or light shade depending on variety. Consider adding a little well‑rotted compost at bottom of planting hole. During first two summers, water young Schefflera during heatwaves and prolonged drought.