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Dwarf Umbrella Tree
Heptapleurum arboricola
Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.
QUICK ANSWER
Water propagation roots a stem cutting in 4 to 6 weeks and is the easiest place to start.
Soil propagation skips the water-to-soil transition and roots in 6 to 8 weeks, which suits chunkier cuttings. Air layering produces a fully rooted plant before you cut and works best on a tall mature trunk you want to shorten.
Soil propagation skips the water-to-soil transition and roots in 6 to 8 weeks, which suits chunkier cuttings. Air layering produces a fully rooted plant before you cut and works best on a tall mature trunk you want to shorten.
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Water propagation
Best for beginners who want to watch roots form
Soil propagation
Best for skipping the water-to-soil transition
Air layering
Best for shortening a tall mature plant
Water propagation
Time
4–6 weeks
Level
Beginner
Success rate
High
You'll need
Sterile pruners or a sharp knife
Clear glass jar
Filtered water (or tap left to sit 24 hours)
Bright indirect light
1
Take a 4 to 6 inch tip cutting
Use sterile pruners to cut a healthy stem just below a node, leaving 2 to 3 leaf clusters attached at the top. Aim for new growth that has firmed up rather than the most tender tip.
Fully soft tips often rot before they root.
Fully soft tips often rot before they root.
2
Strip the lower leaves
Pull off any leaves on the bottom 2 inches of stem. Submerged leaves rot quickly and pollute the water with bacteria.
3
Place in water in indirect light
Put the cutting in a clear jar so the bottom 2 inches sit in water. Use filtered water or tap left to sit overnight. Set the jar in bright indirect light at 70 to 80°F.
4
Refresh the water every 5 to 7 days
Change the water weekly or sooner if it turns cloudy. Rinse the jar with each change. Cloudy water is the early sign of bacteria that will rot the cut end before roots can form.
5
Wait for a cluster of 2-inch roots
First nubs may show within 2 weeks but full rooting takes 4 to 6 weeks. Wait until you see at least 4 roots that are each 2 inches long before potting up.
A single thin root is not enough to support the cutting in soil.
A single thin root is not enough to support the cutting in soil.
6
Pot up in standard potting mix
Move the cutting to a 4-inch pot with potting mix amended with extra perlite for drainage. Water in well and keep the soil lightly moist for the first 2 weeks while water roots adapt to soil. After that, water when the top inch dries out.
WATCH FOR
Mushy black tissue at the bottom of the cutting. That is bacterial rot from stale water. Re-cut half an inch above the damage with a sterile blade, rinse the jar, and start over with fresh water. A single re-cut usually saves the cutting.
Soil propagation
Time
6–8 weeks
Level
Intermediate
Success rate
Moderate
You'll need
Sterile pruners or a sharp knife
4-inch pot with drainage holes
Potting mix amended with perlite
Clear plastic bag or humidity dome
Rooting hormone (recommended)
1
Take a 4 to 6 inch semi-hardwood cutting
Cut a healthy stem just below a node, leaving 2 to 3 leaf clusters at the top. Pick a stem where the wood has firmed up but is still flexible. Soft green tips wilt before they root in soil.
2
Dust the cut end in rooting hormone
Tap the freshly cut end against rooting hormone powder and shake off any excess. Hormone roughly doubles the success rate for dwarf umbrella tree soil cuttings.
Without hormone, expect 40 to 50 percent of cuttings to fail.
Without hormone, expect 40 to 50 percent of cuttings to fail.
3
Plant into damp mix
Fill a 4-inch pot with potting mix amended with extra perlite, moistened to the texture of a wrung-out sponge. Push the cutting in 2 inches deep and press the soil firmly so the cutting stands upright on its own.
4
Tent with a humidity bag
Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag to hold humidity near 70 percent. Set in bright indirect light at 70 to 80°F. Open the bag for a few minutes every other day to refresh the air.
5
Check at 6 weeks with a tug test
Give the cutting a gentle tug. Resistance means roots have anchored. If the cutting lifts freely, leave it for another 2 weeks and try again.
Most cuttings root by 6 to 8 weeks if they are going to root at all.
Most cuttings root by 6 to 8 weeks if they are going to root at all.
6
Remove the dome and resume care
Once the tug test passes, take the bag off and let the plant acclimate to room humidity for a week. Then move it to its long-term spot and water when the top inch of soil dries out.
WATCH FOR
White fuzzy mold across the soil surface. That comes from too little airflow under the humidity dome. Vent the bag daily, scrape away the mold layer, and let the soil surface dry slightly before re-tenting. Surface mold is harmless if caught early.
Air layering
Time
8–12 weeks
Level
Advanced
Success rate
High
You'll need
Damp sphagnum moss
Clear plastic wrap
Twist ties or string
Sterile knife
Sharp pruners for final cut
Rooting hormone (recommended)
1
Pick a spot on a thick mature stem
Choose a section about 12 to 18 inches below the leafy crown of a stem at least the thickness of a pencil. Thicker stems root more reliably and the plant left behind will resprout below the cut.
2
Wound the stem and apply hormone
Use a sterile knife to peel away a 1-inch ring of bark around the stem, exposing the green tissue underneath. Dust the exposed wound with rooting hormone powder.
The wound is what triggers the plant to push roots from this spot.
The wound is what triggers the plant to push roots from this spot.
3
Wrap damp sphagnum moss around the wound
Soak a handful of sphagnum moss and squeeze out the excess so it is wet but not dripping. Pack the moss firmly around the wounded section in a thick layer roughly the size of a tennis ball.
4
Seal the moss in plastic wrap
Wrap clear plastic wrap tightly around the moss ball, leaving small air gaps at top and bottom. Secure with twist ties. You should be able to see roots developing through the wrap.
5
Keep moss damp for 8 to 12 weeks
Check the moss weekly. If it looks dry, peel the wrap back, mist with water, and re-seal. The moss should feel like a wrung-out sponge at all times.
Dry moss stalls root growth completely.
Dry moss stalls root growth completely.
6
Sever and pot up
Once a network of white roots fills the moss, cut the stem just below the rooted ball with sharp pruners. Peel the plastic away but leave the moss in place. Pot the rooted bundle into well-draining potting mix and water in well.
WATCH FOR
Black or shriveled wound tissue inside the moss after 6 weeks with no roots forming. The moss likely dried out at some point. Unwrap, re-soak the moss, and re-wrap. If the wound itself is dead and dry, start a new air layer a few inches lower on the trunk.
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About This Article
Kiersten Rankel M.S.
Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist
Editorial Process
Propagation methods verified against Heptapleurum arboricola growth data from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with USDA hardiness zone data and published horticultural research.
21,018+ Greg users growing this plant
USDA hardiness zones 10a–12b