Heptapleurum arboricola 'Janine'

Origin and natural habitat

Heptapleurum arboricola comes from Taiwan and Hainan. In the wild it grows in warm, humid forest below about 900 m, including shaded stream-side areas. Some plants also grow on trees, where the roots get frequent moisture but remain well aired.

How to care for ‘Janine’

Give ‘Janine’ bright indirect light. Its cream sections benefit from a bright position, but hot direct sun can burn the palest areas, so move it closer to a sunny window gradually rather than all at once.

Let the potting mix dry somewhat between waterings rather than waiting for most of the pot to become dry. Small pots can go from damp to ready for water quickly in warm weather but stay wet for much longer in winter, so check the pot each time instead of watering on a fixed day. When it feels noticeably lighter and the mix deeper down is no longer wet, it is ready for water.

Use a loose mix that drains freely and takes up water evenly. ‘Janine’ appreciates some humidity, particularly in winter, so avoid spots with strong, dry heat. Do not try to create humidity by keeping the potting mix permanently wet.

Feed lightly while new leaves are coming through, then ease off during slower periods. Repot once the roots are crowded or water is no longer draining through the mix properly. If one strong shoot starts producing only green leaves and keeps doing so, cut it back to the last variegated section before it overtakes the patterned growth.

Common problems with ‘Janine’

• One stem starts producing only green leaves: Give the plant brighter indirect light first. If the same stem keeps growing entirely green while the rest stays variegated, cut it back to the last section that still produced patterned leaves.
• Cream areas become tan and crisp: Check for strong direct sun or a small pot that is repeatedly left too dry. Move the plant back from the hottest sun and keep the watering steadier. The variegated-plant guide explains why pale tissue is usually the first to show damage.
• Several leaves turn yellow at the same time: Check whether the pot has stayed wet for too long or dried out completely. Correct the watering first. If the decline comes with soft, dark roots, use the root-rot guide.
• White cottony insects hide in the close inner growth: Keep the plant apart from nearby houseplants and check every leaf joint for mealybugs. Remove visible insects and use a treatment labelled for mealybugs on houseplants if needed, then keep checking the new growth. Repeat treatment only when the label tells you to.

Heptapleurum arboricola ‘Janine’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

Schefflera arboricola and Heptapleurum arboricola: why did the name change?

Heptapleurum combines Greek hepta, meaning seven, with pleuron, meaning rib or side. The epithet arboricola means tree-dweller.

Joseph Gaertner established the genus Heptapleurum in 1791 in De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum, volume 2, page 472.

Bunzō Hayata first described Heptapleurum arboricola in 1916 in Icones Plantarum Formosanarum, volume 6, page 23.

Schefflera arboricola is the familiar former name. Porter P. Lowry II and Gregory M. Plunkett reinstated Heptapleurum for the Asian group formerly included in Schefflera in 2020 in Novon, volume 28. Kew’s World Checklist accepts Heptapleurum arboricola.