A potted plant used in folk medicine to treat rheumatic arthritis, bone pain and fractures - do you have one at home?

Schefflera arboricola is a common ornamental foliage plant in gardening, and flower enthusiasts believe they know this plant quite well. Schefflera arboricola is a sun-loving plant, but because of its strong tolerance for shade, it has been promoted for use as a potted plant. In the flower market, this plant is called the "wealth-gathering tree" or "small money tree". Its flowers are white, with a flowering period in July, and its fruit is oval with a fruiting period in August, so it is much loved by the public.

Schefflera arboricola is native to the tropics and subtropics, and also grows wild in southwestern to eastern China. It grows under dense forest in valleys or in moister spots by streams, is shade-tolerant, cold-tolerant, and not drought-tolerant.

Schefflera arboricola adapts to a wide range of sunlight conditions and can grow well in full sun, partial sun, or partial shade. In sufficient sunlight the leaves are bright green, while in insufficient sunlight the leaves are dark green. It has strong adaptability to moisture. It is not demanding about soil.

Schefflera arboricola can not only serve as an ornamental plant, but also has the effects of promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, and activating blood circulation and reducing swelling. In folk medicine it is used to treat rheumatic arthritis, bone pain and fractures, and so on.

If you want to grow this plant well, be sure to note that Schefflera arboricola likes a semi-shaded environment. In autumn, winter and spring you can give it plenty of sunlight, but in summer it needs more than 50% shade. When keeping it indoors, place it in a spot with bright light as much as possible, such as a well-lit living room, bedroom, study, and similar places.

After keeping it indoors for a period (about one month), move it outdoors to a shaded spot (with insulation conditions in winter) for a period (about one month), and alternate back and forth in this way. If you run into problems growing Schefflera arboricola, you can consult experts on Yunzhongyang, the world's largest agricultural technology Q&A platform. It brings together tens of thousands of experts in planting and breeding, and every question raised gets a reply within 2 minutes.

In winter, when the plant enters dormancy or semi-dormancy, cut off the thin, weak, pest- or disease-affected, dead, and overly dense branches. You can also tidy up the branches along with taking cuttings.