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Strangler Schefflera arboricola (on my Phoenix sylvestris palm)


Walt

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Some years ago I noticed several Schefflera arboricola plants taking root and growing on one of my Phoenix sylvestris palms. They remind me of ficus species that grow and eventually strangle and take over a palm. I've observed Schefflera arboricola growing like this on a southern live oak. I've read the aerial roots from Schefflera arboricola, when they contact the ground, will function as regular roots. I look forward over the coming years to see just how much more these plants will grow.  I'm not concerned about my Phoenix sylvestris, as this palm has been in the constant state of potassium (and to a lesser extent, magnesium) deficiency for 10 years. I brought the pH of my soil up to 6.5 and feed the palm with 8-2-12 (with magnesium) to no avail. The frond yellow-orange discoloration has reached up to th 10-2 o'clock positions. Yet, my other Phoenix sylvestris that is in much more acid soil and gets far less fertilizer exhibits no mineral deficiencies. Must be genes.

Phoenix with S. arboricola 1.jpg

Phoenix with S. arboricola 2.jpg

Phoenix with S. arboricola 3.jpg

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Mad about palms

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Schefflera quite often grow epiphyticly. I've seen them in swampy forests only growing on trees. If the ground is drier then the roots go to the ground. But their roots don't seem to have the encircling habit of Banyans which results in the host tree being strangled.

I forget now what the host tree in this photo is but it's unaffected despite the size the Schefflera has grown to. By the way, the one in my photo is a Schefflera actinophylla.

ptct12091535b.jpg.jpg.66b6102b486db1b7ed

 

Edited by tropicbreeze
To correct orientation of image.
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12 hours ago, tropicbreeze said:

Schefflera quite often grow epiphyticly. I've seen them in swampy forests only growing on trees. If the ground is drier then the roots go to the ground. But their roots don't seem to have the encircling habit of Banyans which results in the host tree being strangled.

I forget now what the host tree in this photo is but it's unaffected despite the size the Schefflera has grown to. By the way, the one in my photo is a Schefflera actinophylla.

ptct12091535b.jpg.jpg.66b6102b486db1b7ed

 

I wondered if Shefflera (at least arboricola) were epiphytic  or semi-epiphytic. But I didn't think they were a strangler to the degree many ficus species are. I'm just going to let nature take her course and see just how far the shefflera on my palm develop.

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Mad about palms

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  • 2 years later...

Wow! This is sooo cool, thank you for sharing those pics!! I knew Schefflera had similar growth habits to Ficus, and was wondering if they could strangle as well. I was even considering getting a dwarf cavendish banana (cheap and widely available in my area) to “sacrifice” to my Ficus elastica- but I don’t think i have the heart for that! Haha. Instead I’m just going to see if I can activate it’s strangling mode on an old piece of wood I found in my attic and sanitized. Hopefully it won’t know the difference. 

Like it says in my profile, I really love woody epiphytes. I know they’re parasitic, but I think their aerial roots are so moody and romantic-looking. Plus, at least where Ficus is concerned, their benefits to wildlife far outweigh their parasitic nature. 

Thanks again for the pics, keep us updated! 

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9 minutes ago, SunnySoCal said:

Wow! This is sooo cool, thank you for sharing those pics!! I knew Schefflera had similar growth habits to Ficus, and was wondering if they could strangle as well. I was even considering getting a dwarf cavendish banana (cheap and widely available in my area) to “sacrifice” to my Ficus elastica- but I don’t think i have the heart for that! Haha. Instead I’m just going to see if I can activate it’s strangling mode on an old piece of wood I found in my attic and sanitized. Hopefully it won’t know the difference. 

Like it says in my profile, I really love woody epiphytes. I know they’re parasitic, but I think their aerial roots are so moody and romantic-looking. Plus, at least where Ficus is concerned, their benefits to wildlife far outweigh their parasitic nature. 

Thanks again for the pics, keep us updated! 

Piece of Wood/ Driftwood, ..or a rock will work fine. Plant will eventually wrap itself around it. 

As far as the "Parasitic " aspect, they actually wouldn't be considered an actual Parasite,  -in the same manner as Mistletoe / Flowering Mistletoe, ( Psittacanthus sp., etc. ) Dodders, etc-  the roots of which penetrate into the tissue of their host to derive nutrients.. " Strangling " plants ( Hemiepiphytes ) simply use their host as a place to hang out in/on, growing X times faster than the host, strangling it by simply out-competing it. Before reaching the ground, roots of the strangler get all their nutritional needs/ moisture from the detritus that collects in the crotches of branches/ thick bark / between the boots of a palm, not from the tissue of the host..

While most people think of Ficus and Schefflera as the most common stranglers / trees that can eventually smother whatever tree they start out growing on, One of the more surprising?  is at least one sp. of Bursera ( think Gumbo Limbo ( same Genus ), for those living in FL. ) Grows like a vine until it roots in the ground, then takes off/ bulks up. 

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  • 1 year later...
On 12/12/2020 at 2:24 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Piece of Wood/ Driftwood, ..or a rock will work fine. Plant will eventually wrap itself around it. 

This is exactly what I did, it has been doing great for me for the past 2 weeks. It just finished putting out it’s 2nd leaf and also some aerial roots as well.

026C921F-657A-48B5-97CA-7C234A394F81.jpeg

4F0C216B-B603-493A-9773-D176CD4AACD9.jpeg

D8BC2C52-51EF-450D-B021-8F57DFC5D9BE.jpeg

595037C5-0B1E-49E4-B9B2-7E878D84C8D0.jpeg

6C83ABB0-81B6-4865-8947-5F7039EB8ED8.jpeg

Edited by John2468
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4 minutes ago, John2468 said:

This is exactly what I did, it has been doing great for me for the past 2 weeks. It just finished putting out it’s 2nd leaf and also some aerial roots as well.

026C921F-657A-48B5-97CA-7C234A394F81.jpeg

4F0C216B-B603-493A-9773-D176CD4AACD9.jpeg

D8BC2C52-51EF-450D-B021-8F57DFC5D9BE.jpeg

595037C5-0B1E-49E4-B9B2-7E878D84C8D0.jpeg

 

Looks good.. Don't be surprised if you see some new growth start from dormant leaf nodes along the branch itself this spring / summer.

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28 minutes ago, John2468 said:

This is exactly what I did, it has been doing great for me for the past 2 weeks. It just finished putting out it’s 2nd leaf and also some aerial roots as well.

026C921F-657A-48B5-97CA-7C234A394F81.jpeg

4F0C216B-B603-493A-9773-D176CD4AACD9.jpeg

D8BC2C52-51EF-450D-B021-8F57DFC5D9BE.jpeg

595037C5-0B1E-49E4-B9B2-7E878D84C8D0.jpeg

6C83ABB0-81B6-4865-8947-5F7039EB8ED8.jpeg

I wonder if ficus religiosa or macrocarpa will work, they like to grow on walls in tropical areas. Great idea by the way, I have to try that too. 

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2 minutes ago, spike said:

I wonder if ficus religiosa or macrocarpa will work, they like to grow on walls in tropical areas. Great idea by the way, I have to try that too. 

Don't see why it wouldn't work.. Have seen F. benjamina growing in palm boots / from cracks in walls, etc as well.

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Here is an image of Howea forsteriana being enveloped by Ficus columnaris on Lord Howe Island.

  I like the look of the Schefflera, Walt.   :greenthumb:

IMG_3060.JPG

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San Francisco, California

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On 12/12/2020 at 8:39 PM, SunnySoCal said:

Wow! This is sooo cool, thank you for sharing those pics!! I knew Schefflera had similar growth habits to Ficus, and was wondering if they could strangle as well. I was even considering getting a dwarf cavendish banana (cheap and widely available in my area) to “sacrifice” to my Ficus elastica- but I don’t think i have the heart for that! Haha. Instead I’m just going to see if I can activate it’s strangling mode on an old piece of wood I found in my attic and sanitized. Hopefully it won’t know the difference. 

Like it says in my profile, I really love woody epiphytes. I know they’re parasitic, but I think their aerial roots are so moody and romantic-looking. Plus, at least where Ficus is concerned, their benefits to wildlife far outweigh their parasitic nature. 

Thanks again for the pics, keep us updated! 

In Indonesia where I used to live, trees with aerial roots look spooky and inhabited by spirits, so the locals give offerings. I must say I adore the looks of aerial roots. Here in Greece ficus grows outside in the southern half of the country. In my neighbourhood there are two medium-size ficus elastica on the ground. In Crete I saw a huge ficus bengalensis. In the south there are also many big ficus benjamina specimens. However, they never produce aerial roots in Greece, perhaps due to the dry air. For some time now I have been trying to think of a way to promote the growth of aerial roots. Anybody knows anything about that?

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previously known as ego

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22 minutes ago, ego said:

However, they never produce aerial roots in Greece, perhaps due to the dry air. For some time now I have been trying to think of a way to promote the growth of aerial roots. Anybody knows anything about that?

I think you’re right about the dry air because here in south Florida, ficus trees planted on the ground produce tons of aerial roots due to the humid climate. One way to promote aerial root growth is to wrap the area you want the roots to grow with sphagnum moss and a plastic bag. 

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21 minutes ago, John2468 said:

I think you’re right about the dry air because here in south Florida, ficus trees planted on the ground produce tons of aerial roots due to the humid climate. One way to promote aerial root growth is to wrap the area you want the roots to grow with sphagnum moss and a plastic bag. 

That is correct.. Dry air ..most of the year anyway, in most places out there.. plus generally cooler conditions < closer to the coast where the air is a bit moister > are the two,  main reasons a majority of the Ficus sp. you see planted around California < S. Cal. esp. > don't produce aerial roots ..or very little such growth.  Atmosphere has to be humid, like in FL, Hawaii, or parts of Mexico, etc to promote such development.   That said, there are examples of massive Ficus around San Diego where you'll see some aerial root growth dangling from them, trying to reach the ground..

Wrapping  a branch w/ moss, or something similar, and keeping moist imitates those ideal conditions.  For trees in the ground, could position any nearby sprinklers so that plenty of moisture wafts over lower branches each time that area of lawn is irrigated to help aerials develop. Once firmly rooted into the ground, they aren't sensitive to drying out.

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4 hours ago, ego said:

In Indonesia where I used to live, trees with aerial roots look spooky and inhabited by spirits, so the locals give offerings. I must say I adore the looks of aerial roots. Here in Greece ficus grows outside in the southern half of the country. In my neighbourhood there are two medium-size ficus elastica on the ground. In Crete I saw a huge ficus bengalensis. In the south there are also many big ficus benjamina specimens. However, they never produce aerial roots in Greece, perhaps due to the dry air. For some time now I have been trying to think of a way to promote the growth of aerial roots. Anybody knows anything about that?

http://bonsai-misadventures.blogspot.com/2019/04/aerial-roots-when-you-live-in-desert.html

I found this a while ago. Haven't tried it on my ficus because I don't have drip irrigation, nor the patience to mist it everyday :mrlooney:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I found a ficus with aerial roots in Nafplio, Greece. Looks like people wrapped them around the trunk?

 

IMG_20220326_150646.jpg

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previously known as ego

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  • 5 months later...

While waiting for my bus - I noticed a strange cable (about 4 inches thick) - spanning the 16 ft space between the crowns of two mature sable palms growing in the landscape island across the street.  But the "cable" had no continuous on the outer side of either palm tree.  Investigating - turns out the "cable' was the trunk of of a Schefflera whose roots were confined to the dead spathes 15 feet above ground on one palm with a trunk spanning the 16 foot space to the adjacent palm, where it grew vertically to support a flourishing leaf crown about 5' in diameter.  Closer inspection revealed there was also a smaller branch with a cluster of leaves where the trunk attached to the host palm tree. Location: Martin County, FL  I didn't have my camera at the time so created an image of my view from the bus stop from memory (see pic [Sic] schefferela_airbourne,jpg  Recently noticed two small epiphytic schefflera about 30' up in crotches of branches of a huge tree with gnarly 6' wide trunk in Stuart's Flagler Park.

from_west2.jpg

from_east_base2.jpg

from_west_crown.jpg

schefferela_airbourne.jpg

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