How to Grow Schefflera arboricola at Home? Feng Shui Role and Precautions Explained

Schefflera arboricola (dwarf umbrella tree) has the effects of dispelling wind and relieving pain, and activating blood circulation to reduce swelling. It is often used for rheumatic arthralgia, headache, toothache, epigastric and abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, traumatic swelling and pain, fractures, and sores and swellings. So what is the feng shui role of Schefflera arboricola? How do you grow it at home? What precautions are there?

I. The Feng Shui Role of Schefflera arboricola

Home environments pay great attention to feng shui, and regardless of how credible the saying of “feng shui” is, it represents people's yearning for and pursuit of good fortune. So in feng shui, what feng shui meaning does Schefflera arboricola have?

Some sayings mention that Schefflera arboricola represents water and wood, and is beneficial to family members whose favorable elements are water and wood. The spreading leaves of Schefflera arboricola resemble “dragon claws” and are also gentle and elegant, so it is regarded as an ideal feng shui plant for the living room. People believe that placing Schefflera arboricola in the living room and other places can bring good fortune to the family.

In traditional Chinese culture, there are many plants with feng shui effects just like Schefflera arboricola. For example, the “ju” of potted citrus is homophonous with “ji” (good luck), implying that family members will have good luck in the new year; lucky bamboo is called “nian zhu” and “money tree”, and is also a symbol of good fortune.

II. The Medicinal Value of Schefflera arboricola

Actually, Schefflera arboricola is a medicinal potted plant. It is not only suitable for beautifying indoor environments, but can also be used as medicine! So what medicinal values does Schefflera arboricola have? Don't worry, Mom Network Encyclopedia will count them out for you!

1. To treat traumatic injuries: take four or five kinds of herbs such as Schefflera arboricola leaves, mugwort, Eupatorium japonicum, white-flowered motherwort, Jiegutong, crinum lily, wild grape, and yitiaogen, pound them, add wine, massage and apply externally to the affected area, twice a day, to reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain.

2. To treat gonorrhea: use Schefflera arboricola leaves, mesona, sow thistle, kohlrabi, houttuynia, cucumber, and Siraitia grosvenorii, add fruits such as watermelon, pineapple, star fruit, and orange to make an energy soup and take it.

3. To treat lung abscess and pulmonary abscess: use several kinds such as Schefflera arboricola root, wild grape, Trachelospemum jasminoides, Ixora, Laogonggen, goosegrass, coin mint, and houttuynia, and take with half-wine water.

4. Currently, the preparations used clinically include Schefflera arboricola injection, suitable for treating traumatic injuries, rheumatic joint pain, gastric and duodenal ulcer pain, trigeminal neuralgia, postoperative pain, etc. Schefflera arboricola tincture is used to treat stomach pain, traumatic fractures, and trauma pain.

III. How to Grow Schefflera arboricola

Schefflera arboricola has relatively strong vitality and is relatively easy and simple to grow. As long as you follow its growth habits and provide it with sufficient water and fertilizer conditions, it can offer its owner patches of greenery. Let's take a look at the specific growing methods for Schefflera arboricola.

1. Choosing soil: The potting soil for Schefflera arboricola can be a mixture of peat soil, leaf mold plus about 1/3 perlite and a small amount of base fertilizer, or fine sandy soil can be used for potting.

2. Providing light: When cultivated indoors, Schefflera arboricola can grow well if it can see about 4 hours of direct sunlight every day, and it can be enjoyed for a relatively long period in a bright room.

3. Maintaining moisture: The amount of watering varies with the season. In summer it needs more water, watering once a day to keep the potting soil moist. In spring and autumn, water once every 3-4 days. If there is too much water or waterlogging, it can easily cause root rot.

4. Reasonable fertilizing: During the summer growing period, fertilize once a week. Granular fertilizer with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be applied after loosening the soil. It should be noted that for variegated varieties, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied less; too much nitrogen fertilizer will gradually fade the variegated patches and turn them green.

IV. Precautions for Growing Schefflera arboricola

The growing temperature of Schefflera arboricola should be kept between 15°C and 25°C as much as possible, and at the lowest it should not be lower than 5°C, otherwise their leaves are very likely to be frozen off and rot. In the daily care of Schefflera arboricola, attention should be paid to placing it in a well-ventilated environment, and it should also have appropriate sunlight, though of course it cannot be directly exposed to strong sun. When watering Schefflera arboricola in winter, note that the frequency must be reduced, and the water temperature should be consistent with the soil temperature to prevent Schefflera arboricola from being damaged by freezing.

V. The Difference Between Schefflera arboricola and Money Tree

The biggest difference between Schefflera arboricola and money tree lies in their morphological characteristics:

1. Schefflera arboricola is an evergreen climbing vine-like shrub that can grow up to 3 m tall. The whole plant is fragrant, with green stems, fine longitudinal lines, smooth and hairless. It usually has 7 leaflets, oblong-ovate, hence the name “Schefflera arboricola”. Schefflera arboricola blooms small greenish-white flowers in spring, with umbels aggregated into racemose inflorescences, and its berries are spherical, yellow-red when mature.

2. Money tree is different. It is also called Malabar chestnut and is an evergreen tree that grows up to 8-15 m tall, with 5-7 leaflets, many whorled branches, and long-stalked branches and leaves with palmately compound leaves; money tree flowers are very large, with lobed petals, and the flower colors are red, white, or pale yellow, bright and showy; the seeds produced by money tree are also very large, irregular in shape, and light brown.