Arboricola Care Guide

This dwarf schefflera is an evergreen shrub in some areas but makes for a hardy houseplant as a bonsai. It has green, glossy, palmate leaves densely covering flexible green stems which gently fan out into a rounded crown. They are also moderately salt tolerant.

Lighting: Part shade, part sun

Temperature: Zone 9b. These bonsai prefer temperature above 40 degrees.

Watering: Adequate water to keep from drying out and remaining dry.

Feeding: General purpose fertilizer

Pruning & Wiring: Branching can be encouraged by pinching the stems. It can be pruned into a small tree over a period of years. Style as a broad-crowned bonsai with the silhouette of a banyan tree.

Propagation: May be propagated by cuttings, seeds, and the air layer.

Repotting: The bonsai tree needs annual repotting and may be severely root pruned. Not particular about the type of soil, however, it should be well drained and slightly alkaline.

Pests & Diseases: Scale, mealybug, and spider mites when grown indoors. No diseases of major concern.

For more tips on how to prune or care for Arboricola, please call, email, or come in. We’d be happy to help!