Schefflera plants earned their nickname due to their umbrella-like leaves that radiate outwards from a central point. This houseplant is typically easy to take care off and adds a tropical feel to any room. You may find that your Schefflera leaves are drooping. There are a few reasons for drooping Schefflera leaves, including: watering issues, insufficient light, plant shock, low humidity, cold temperatures, and over fertilization.
Continue reading to learn more about Schefflera care and how fix drooping leaves caused by each of these problems.
Drooping Schefflera due to under watering
Schefflera are native to tropical areas, so they prefer high humidity and well-draining soil. Dry soil leads to leaf droop.
Test the moisture of the soil by sticking your finger in. If the top inch feels dry, give your Schefflera a good soak. After watering, dump out any excess water collected in the saucer so the plant does not stay wet for too long.
How often you should water your Schefflera depends on it’s environmental conditions, including: sunlight, temperature and humidity. Plants in brighter, warmer or drier areas need to be watered more often than those in shady, cooler, or more humid rooms. This is because plants in low light grow slower and use less water.
Water about once every one to two weeks and adjust the schedule as needed for your plant, always checking that the top layer of soil is dry before watering.
Sometimes the soil may become so dry that when you water it, the water drains straight through without being absorbed at all. If this occurs, bottom water your Schefflera. Fill a tub or bin with water and put the pot inside for an hour, letting the water seep up the drainage hole. Then, let the extra water drain out.
If under watering was causing the drooping leaves, your Schefflera should perk up after a drink or two.
Root bound plants
Keep in mind, root bound plants are more likely to show signs of under watering. As the roots crowd the soil, there is less available water for the plant. It is also more difficult for water to penetrate through the thick root ball.
If it has been a while since you last repotted your Schefflera, consider moving it to a pot one size up to make room for the roots.
Drooping Schefflera due to over watering
Drooping leaves can also be due to over watering, making it a bit confusing to figure out the problem sometimes.
Think about how often you have been watering your Schefflera- if you have watered several times in the last few weeks, it may actually be over watered. Stick a finger in the soil. If it is bone dry, your Schefflera needs more water, but if it feels soggy, your plant is likely over watered.
Reduce your watering frequency and plant the Schefflera in well-draining soil (dense, heavy soils retain water for long periods of time, even if you do not water them frequently). Add in a few cups of perlite to the soil to increase drainage (I use about 2/3 soil mixed with 1/3 perlite). Plant in a terracotta pot with a drainage hole, as it also helps to wick away unnecessary moisture.
Avoid planting in a pot that is much larger than the plant. The excess soil in the pot retains too much water and suffocates the roots.
Root rot on Schefflera
If Schefflera have been over watered for too long, root rot could set in. Root rot is a fungal infection that occurs when excess water drowns the roots. The roots die because they do not receive necessary oxygen. Eventually, the damage spreads above ground, and the leaves begin to yellow, droop, then fall off.
Remove the plant from the soil, and inspect the roots carefully. Black or slimy roots are rotten, while light tan/white roots are healthy. Cut off the rotten roots with a clean pair of scissors (sterilize the scissors between each cut with rubbing alcohol so the rot does not spread). In addition, cut off any dead or dying leaves, so the plant can focus it’s energy on new growth.
Clean the inside and outside of the pot with soap and warm water. Consider planting in a terracotta pot with a drainage hole if the plant is not already in one (this helps prevent over watering, as explained above). Fill the pot with new, well-draining soil.
Place the plant in a well-ventilated room with medium, indirect light. Avoid watering for two weeks. Avoid fertilizing the roots for a month to give them time to recover. Do not mist the plant during this time because the extra humidity worsens rot.
If root rot is caught early enough, the Schefflera can still be saved. However, if the leaves are extensively damaged, it may be too late.
Drooping Schefflera due to low light
Schefflera are fond of bright, indirect light. In complete shade, their leaves begin to droop. To avoid this problem, provide your Schefflera with several hours of bright, indirect light per day. However, be sure to avoid direct light because that may burn the leaves.
You will have to move your Schefflera around depending on the season and light your window receives. During the winter months, you may need to keep it closer to the window, while during the summer months it can be moved farther away.
Note: be careful when moving the Schefflera from complete shade to brighter light because sudden increases in light burn the plant as well. Slowly transition the plant to more light by increasing the sun it receives each day over the course of a week.
Drooping Schefflera due to plant shock
A sudden change in your umbrella plant’s environment also causes drooping leaves. Plants undergo shock or stress if their location suddenly changes (especially there is a big difference in temperature or light), or if they are subjected to drafts of cold or hot air.
Repotting Schefflera also causes stress because the plant’s roots are disrupted and it has to adjust to a new container. This is normal and not permanent.
Continue to care for the plant as normal and give it time to adapt to it’s new location- this may take several weeks. Avoid repotting the plant during this time, or keeping it in any areas where it will receive a blast of cool air.
Learn more about plant shock here.
Drooping Schefflera due to low humidity
As tropical plants, Schefflera thrive in like warm, humid environments. If the air is very dry, the leaves may droop and the tips of leaves appear brown and crispy.
Increase the humidity around your houseplant by misting around the plant with a spray bottle, or placing a humidifier nearby. If you do not have a humidifier, you can fill a tray with pebbles and water, then place the pot on top of the pebbles (making sure the pot is not in direct contact with the water to avoid rot). As the water evaporates, it increases humidity around the plant.
Avoid placing the Schefflera near vents or heaters because they dry out the surrounding air.
Drooping Schefflera due to low temperatures
Umbrella plants prefer temperatures from 70 to 90 °F (21 to 32 °C). Avoid temperatures cooler than 60 °F (15 °C) because the cold damages the plant.
Cold temperatures are unlikely to be a problem for Schefflera that are indoors year long. If Schefflera are left outside in the cold, they can suffer leaf damage. While the damaged leaves will not go back to normal, if the plant is brought back inside, it should grow new foliage in a few weeks because the plant’s roots are quite hardy.
Drooping Schefflera due to over fertilizing
Brown patches, brown leaf tips, and salt buildup are signs of over fertilizing. Fertilizing too quickly or with a high strength fertilizer damages the roots and prevents them from working properly. They cannot absorb the necessary nutrients and water from the soil, leading to drooping leaves.
Schefflera should not be fertilized more often than once a month from spring to summer. If you fertilized more often than this, or you fertilized during the winter, you probably over fertilized the plant.
Flush the soil with large volumes of water to help drain out the extra salts from the soil. If the damage is extensive, you may need to repot in fresh, new soil.
Schefflera plant care
Provide your Schefflera with the following conditions to keep it happy:
| Sunlight | Bright, indirect light, avoid direct sunlight |
| Water | Water weekly during the spring to summer and reduce the frequency during the winter |
| Soil | Rich, well-draining soil |
| Temperature | 70 to 90 °F (21 to 32 °C) Avoid temperatures under 60 °F (15 °C) |
| Humidity | High humidity |
In summary for Schefflera leaves drooping…
Common reasons for drooping Schefflera leaves include:
- Improper watering: watering too frequently or not enough both cause drooping leaves. Always check the moisture of the soil before watering. If your Schefflera is under watered, give it a good drink. If you over watered it, let the soil dry out. If you suspect your plant is suffering from root rot, prune the damaged leaves and plant in new soil.
- Low light: Schefflera prefer bright, indirect light. Low light causes drooping leaves, but bright light causes leaf burn so it is important to strike a balance between the two.
- Plant shock: a sudden change in the Schefflera’s environment can cause plant shock or stress, leading to drooping leaves. This could be due to repotting, or movement to a different location. Avoid stressing the plant further and care for it as usual. It should recover within a few weeks.
- Low humidity: as tropical plants, Schefflera are fond of humidity. Increase the humidity around the plant, and avoid keeping it in dry areas such as next to heating vents.
- Cold temperatures: cold temperatures below 60 °F also cause leaf droop. This is not typically a problem for indoor Schefflera. Move the plant indoors when the weather turns cold.
- Over fertilization: excess fertilizer burns the roots, leading to leaf damage. Flush the soil with large volumes of water.
Just because your Schefflera’s leaves are drooping, does not mean it is doomed. If you catch and fix the issue soon enough, your plant will bounce back in a few weeks. Provide your Schefflera with bright, indirect light, high humidity, and water when the soil is dry to keep it happy.
See other plant specific care guides here.
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