I have a small umbrella plant ( Schefflera Arboricola or Heptapleurum Arboricola, depending on which book you read... ) that I lovingly raised from a cutting, rooted in water then planted in soil about a month ago. After a week of adjustment it began growing and putting out little umbrellas at a good pace.

This morning I accidently brushed against one of the new stems, and all the leaves fell off it! The plant itself seems fine - the older leaves ( the ones that were on the cutting when I got it ) are still healthy, and new umbrellas are still growing. I'm caring for this plant as so:

Grown under fluorescent light ( as are all my other plants ) it sits about 8" from the bulb and has 12 hours of light daily. However I read in one of my books that those plants need a few hours of sun every day, so on sunny days I put it somewhere where it gets afternoon sun ( 4-5 hours ).

Humidity: as much as I can manage, given the season, by having dishes of water among my plants. I used to spray it every day, then I stopped when I read that water on the leaves could damage them.

One thing I noticed about the fallen leaves was that they had a strange mottling about them - as if they had been bruised somehow and had developed rust stains. Those stains are inside the leaf and not something that can be removed - I tried, thinking that they might have been bugs.

Looking at my plant, I see that another "umbrella" has that same spotting pattern on the leaves, but none of the others have it. Did I damage the plant by spraying it or am I giving it too much sun, or did my poor plant contact some kind of weird disease ? Help !

I can remember when...spritzing the plants was the thang to do .. no more, my friend...the poor little thing got a sunburn..

It is better to set your plants on a bed of pebbles to create humidity needed for those tropicals.

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"To cultivate a garden and grow flowers from the sod is to go hand and hand with nature and walk very close to God.
Helen Steiner-Rice

crabby, they do get sunburned even if they are dry. i always have to "edge" my tropicals out side in the spring. i didn't even think about sunburn!

crabby, scheffleras like a lot of light. but they will thrive with just good even florescent light. i wouldn't try to do the moving thing anymmore. i'd simplify my life as well as the plant's by letting it know what to expect, the same spot every day! especially if it gets good flouresent light and is growing well otherwise.

Well, the quick reply box is back...

Thanks so much for the help, Jiffy and Will, my schefflera will now get stability over sunshine - hey, less problems for me ! I just hope it didn't suffer too much damage from my misplaced care.

Will, my water isn't hard so that's one thing good. You've often spoken against misting and I've been following your advice - I now spray the shelves rather than the plants themselves, and keep saucers of water among them.

Thank you so much for the help.

I'm a big fan of misting for the reason that 1, I do it alot!!! So that's probably why it helps, and 2, I have a small room and it's door is closed all day so the humidity stays in. My juniper bonsai I got for chirstmas was forsed to say inside and I can garentee you it helps it as you can fell the difference with your fingers. Arn't their quite a few rain forest type plants that folar feed to some degree also? I know bromilades do.

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The answers will come when needed. Otherwise, I'm guesing time will make me feel silly.

Sorry about the lack of feedback everyone, started on spring cleaning and, well... you all know how those things are...

After puzzling and wondering and searching for answers, I think I've hit on the one thing that is hurting my Scheffleras ( both of them are now plagued with dropping leaves! ) I think my house is too cold at night for them - we're at this dangerous season right now, warm during the day so I put the thermostat way down but still cold at night - one morning I woke up and checked the temperature and it was 60. I think this is what is affecting my pepperomia also.

I moved those affected plants to a warmer spot and they seem to be doing better already. One day I'm sure spring and warm weather will arrive - and then my rex begonias will be the one to wilt because it's too hot !