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Please help identify my dying houseplant!!

This plant was given to my family when my mom passed away almost 25 years ago. The past couple of years, my mother in law was caring for it and we just got it back. Well now it doesn’t seem to be doing well. I really don’t even know what kind of plant it is to even begin figuring out what I need to do. Please help!

Hi Lauren,

Your plant is a Schefflera also called an Umbrella tree. My best advice is to cut the entire plant back to about 4″-5″ above the soil line. Re-pot into a container with drip holes in the bottom and that is only a few inches larger that the root ball. Use new, fresh, good potting soil.  Follow these tips on how to grow a Schefflera Umbrella tree and hopefully it will grow into a beautiful plant.

Light:
Schefflera houseplants do well in medium light, but grow faster and develop more leaves in bright indirect light.
Water:
Allow the top 25-30% of the soil to dry out before watering Schefflera houseplants. Green leaves drop off and new growth turns black when Schefflera Plants are over-watered. Yellow leaves indicate a Schefflera houseplant is being under-watered.
fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.:
Fertilize Schefflera houseplants monthly in the spring and summer when they are actively growing with a basic houseplant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. In fall and winter feed Scheffleras every other month but only if the plant is producing new leaves.
Temperature:
Schefflera houseplants prefer temperatures between 65-80 degrees and do not do well in temperatures below 55 degrees. Keep Scheffleras away from cold drafts and heaters.
Humidity
Basic household humidity or higher is fine. If the air is very dry, place your Schefflera on a tray of pebbles and water. Be sure the plant is sitting on the pebbles and not in the water.
Try using a product called superthriveSuperthrive combines vitamins and hormones to encourage plant growth both above and below the soil line. It's not a plant food so it needs to be used in addition to your regular plant food; the two can be used at the same time. Just put a few drops into your watering can & that's all that's needed to improve the health & appearance of your plants. If your plants are in real trouble, add about 10 drops per 2 gallons of water. SuperThrive works best when the soil is dry.     that you can read about in the Glossary. It does wonders for plants in trouble. You can read more about Schefflera Umbrella Trees in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.
https://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/schefflera-plant-how-to-grow-care
These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants
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