Schefflera Amate: A Beautiful "Jurassic Park" Houseplant

If you want an easy, fast-growing plant that really makes a statement, then look no further. Schefflera Amate’s glossy, rich green leaves and impressive size are what make it so popular. Here’s how to care for this bold and beautiful houseplant known simply as Amate, or Umbrella Tree.

When I was an interior plantscaper many years ago, the predecessor (or parent) of this plant was known as Tupidanthus calyptratus, or in common speak, Umbrella Tree and/or Mallet Flower.

These days its name is Schefflera pueckleri and you can find it sold in the exterior trade along with the Schefflera actinophylla. They are very similar. Confusing but both get up to 40′ tall so best to have them growing outside otherwise they’ll take over your living room.

Some Of Our General Houseplant Guides For Your Reference:

How to Care for Schefflera Amate

The Schefflera Amate was developed from tissue culture and has replaced the above monsters for interiors. Because of the more compact form, it’s much better suited to our indoor worlds. You don’t need to have an atrium to grow it. Think of it as the younger, shorter brother. You can see it up close and personal in the video we shot in the greenhouses where the photos for our houseplant care book were taken.

Here’s the Tupidanthus in the great outdoors here in Santa Barbara. A bit too vigorous for the average home!

Although Scheffleras love humidity, they are quite tolerant of the dry air our homes are notorious for having. The large glossy leaves, which resemble a hand with the fingers spread out, don’t seem to get as many brown tips as the leaves of other houseplants. Both indoors and outdoors, the Amates are great in containers.

See what I mean? These ginormous leaves make a statement.

We did a video for you about these tropical rainforest beauties which you’ll find at the end of this post. Here’s what you need to know about the Schefflera Amate before you buy one and also what you need to do to keep it going strong:

Size

As a houseplant, it generally stays smaller than 10′ tall. This is not a narrow plant so make sure you have the space for it.

Light

Medium. Amates like it nice & bright but no direct, burning sun. They actually tolerate a lower light level than their predecessors the Tupidanthus’. Give them a spin every now & then because like all plants, they grow towards the light.

Watering

Also, like the majority of houseplants, average. They need well-drained soil & their leaves will turn black if overwatered & kept soaking wet. A good drink every 10-14 days should do it. I’m going to do a video & blog post soon about watering houseplants so stay tuned.

Fertilizer

I give most of my houseplants a light application of worm compost with a light layer of compost over that every spring. Easy does it – 1/4 to 1/2? layer of each for a larger sized houseplant. Read about my worm compost/compost feeding right here.

The Amate in the grower’s greenhouse. The leaves will be cleaned off with water to shine them up before being sent out into the world.

Pruning

You can tip prune it twice a year to keep it size in check as it grows. Schefflera Amates can also be pruned hard if need be.

Propagation

By tip cuttings (the green stems) or by air layering.

Pests

Scale, mealy bug & spider mite. The Amates have been bred to be most resistant to mite.

I really like these plants and fortunately for you, they’re pretty easy to find. To learn more about Schefflera Amates and other fabulous houseplants, be sure to check out our book, Keep Your Houseplants Alive. This one will really give your home a tropical rainforest, jungle feel – look out for swinging monkeys!

A hole was cut in the roof so this Schefflera (Tupidanthus) has room to grow. Actually, which came 1st, the plant or the building?

A Schefflera hedge which is not looking its best due to our drought.

Here’s the video shot in a commercial greenhouse:

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About the Author
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Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.

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48 Comments

I have a 40+ year old scheff that is in a pot due to frequent moves. Its just about too heavy to move again, and it needs to. Do you know how much root can be trimmed before it will feel shocked?
Thanks,

Hi – I’ve trimmed the roots of an older Schefflera arboricola but the plant was only 7′ tall. I did light pruning, nothing to extensive. I’m not sure how big your root ball is so I can’t really tell you. I would do the root pruning at least a month before you move the plant. Nell

Hi Leo – Scheffleras take pruning really well & you can also air layer it. Take it down at least 2′ below the ceiling, assuming there’s foliage below. It’s best to do this closer to spring. Nell

My housemate bought a schefflera plant a couple of months ago but neglected it (didn’t water it) and left in her dark room. Now all of the leaves have fallen off and the few branches that are left as brown and bendy. The main stem is still ok though, i don’t think the plant is dead. Any ideas on how to bring it back to life?

Hi Kiara – It may or may not come back. Cut off the bendy part & give the plant as much light as possible. These are medium to high light plants. Water thoroughly, if you haven’t already. Feed it in late spring if it’s coming back. Nell

I just got an Amate but it has kind of rippled leaves unlike the other Scheffleras I have seen in the past. Is this a new variety?

Barbara
Garland, TX

Hi Barbara – The Amate do tend to have a bit of wave to their leaves. The S. Actinophyllas had a little different leaf. There’s a realtively new variety of S. arboricola called “Dazzle” which does have a wavy leaf. Nell

Hi,
I just got a schefflera plant from my mother which is 40+ years old. There is only one stem that is about five feet tall and then turns drastically to one side for another few feet. It is at the point that all the leaves are facing the side and the plant keeps wanting to fall.
I’d like to prune it so that it sprouts just at the bend but am unsure how to go about it.
Any advice would be wonderful!

Hi Sheila – I assume you have a Tupidanthus because they were the predecessors to the amate. You can give the canes a good prune. Make a clean cut, at an angle, where you desire on the can. New sprouts will appear. Nell

Nell:

The strangest thing is happening with my Schefflera Amate Soleil- it hasn’t grown at all in the 3 months I’ve had it. It’s only about 12″-15″ tall from soil level. It is in a bright room with no direct sunlight, plenty of warmth and humidity, water every 10-14 days, well-draining soil. I transplanted it from the 7″ pot it came in about 2 weeks ago, to a somewhat larger, deeper pot about 10″ diameter. All leaves are glossy and green, with no sign of any illness whatsoever. But despite all signs pointing to a healthy plant, there has been no new growth whatsoever- not even a single leaf. It has not gained in size. It has not lost any leaves. I fertilized it once with a diluted liquid fertilizer, after wetting the soil down. Do you have any suggestions for me on how to make this stubborn little plant get off its butt and start growing? Thanks in advance!!

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