Hello! A few questions about my plant: 1 - What species is it? Is it a dwarf umbrella tree? 2 - Is this plant supposed to grow branches off the main trunk? This one is still only a trunk with leaves. Will it form real branches eventually? 2 - The plant looks great and is very healthy, but I keep it indoors and I don't want it to grow too tall. It's already 3 feet high and growing. Can I make it form branches and become bigger at the bottom instead of becoming really tall? How would I go about pruning it? Thank you!
1. What you have is Schefflera arboricola indeed referred to by some as the dwarf umbrella tree, and from my experience actually more prevalent than the umbrella tree proper. 2. It will eventually grow branches off the main trunk, it is just young still. 3. I don't have much experience pruning interior plants, but I can't imagine it would be much different than their outdoor counterparts. To get a plant to grow more that the base you normally want to prune the tip, therefore sending more energy into the latent lateral buds which are responsible for growth out. I could be wrong, but if I were you I would prune in about a foot down along the stem and see what happens.
Thanks for the helpful answers naserrano. I asked about the pruning because I'm not that experienced with plants in general and I was hesitant to just chop the main trunk of the plant. Can I just cut anywhere and the stem will heal and keep growing out of the cut? Where and how should I make the cut if I don't want the plant to grow all crooked after that? Thanks!
No, you have to cut where there is a leaf or another branch coming off the stem, otherwise you will end up with an awkward stub at the tip which will ultimately just die. The plant will continue to grow from the bud (maybe not even visible to the eye, so don't worry if you don't see it) where the leaf attached to the stem, trust me it's there. Hope that helps
