Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Umbrella Tree (Heptapleurum actinophyllum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Umbrella Tree, Queensland Umbrella Tree, Octopus Tree, Australian Ivy Palm, Starleaf, Schefflera.

More about umbrella tree

About Umbrella Tree

Heptapleurum actinophyllum · also called Umbrella Tree, Queensland Umbrella Tree · houseplant

The Umbrella Tree (Heptapleurum actinophyllum, syn. Schefflera actinophylla) is a fast-growing tropical foliage plant with glossy, radiating leaflets. Indoors it wants bright indirect light, evenly moist but well-drained soil, and warmth. It is toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA, so keep it out of pets' reach.

Cold limit: USDA 10a-12b (grow as a houseplant or move outdoors only in frost-free climates) (15-27 C)

Watch for — Leaf drop: Sudden dropping of leaflets is usually a stress response to overwatering, cold drafts, hot air from heating vents, or a sudden change in light. Stabilise conditions and check soil moisture.

What umbrella tree's hardiness rating actually means

Umbrella Tree is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10a-12b (grow as a houseplant or move outdoors only in frost-free climates) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Umbrella Tree has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for umbrella tree as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can umbrella tree go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when umbrella tree can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Umbrella Tree hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is umbrella tree cold hardy?

Umbrella Tree is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Umbrella Tree can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10a-12b (grow as a houseplant or move outdoors only in frost-free climates)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature umbrella tree can survive?

What hardiness zone is umbrella tree?

Umbrella Tree is rated USDA 10a-12b (grow as a houseplant or move outdoors only in frost-free climates) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can umbrella tree survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to umbrella tree below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.