Plant care
Umbrella Treetemperature & humidity
Heptapleurum actinophyllum
More about umbrella tree
Ideal temperature for umbrella tree
Umbrella Tree is comfortable in any room a person is comfortable in, roughly 15-27 C (60-80 F). The mistakes are micro-climates: a north-facing window on a frosty night, a south-facing windowsill in a summer heatwave, the standing draught between an opened kitchen door and the radiator behind it. Read the room around the plant, not the thermostat. Below roughly 15°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Umbrella Tree is frost-tender (USDA 10a-12b (grow as a houseplant or move outdoors only in frost-free climates), RHS undefined). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for umbrella tree
Umbrella Tree sits happiest at around 40-60% (moderate to high) relative humidity. As a wet-tropical native it appreciates moderate-to-high humidity. Average household humidity is usually fine, but very dry air can encourage spider mites and leaf-tip browning. Group with other plants or use a pebble tray or humidifier to raise local humidity if needed. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Umbrella Tree temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for umbrella tree?
Umbrella Tree grows best between 15-27 C (60-80 F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can umbrella tree tolerate?
Umbrella Tree starts to suffer below roughly 15°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does umbrella tree need?
Umbrella Tree prefers about 40-60% (moderate to high) relative humidity. As a wet-tropical native it appreciates moderate-to-high humidity. Average household humidity is usually fine, but very dry air can encourage spider mites and leaf-tip browning. Group with other plants or use a pebble tray or humidifier to raise local humidity if needed.
How do I raise humidity for umbrella tree?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can umbrella tree live outside?
Umbrella Tree is rated for USDA zone 10a-12b (grow as a houseplant or move outdoors only in frost-free climates). Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More umbrella tree care
In the UK? Keeping umbrella tree warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full umbrella tree care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.