Find Your Dear Plant Expert:
My schefflera just started losing leaves, even healthy ones, and I’m not sure what to do for it. I live in Michigan, and it lived on my back deck where it absolutely loved it. I’ve had to move it back inside and it’s not happy right now. What might be a few causes to my problem? Help!
Loretta
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Plant Expert Reply:
Loretta,
Scheffleras do not like temperatures below 60 degrees or cold drafts. With this in mind, I would say your plant is showing signs of cold damage. Since you have moved it inside, this should help. Make sure the plant is not in direct line of any cold drafts. Within a few weeks the plant should recover.
Good luck and please let me know if I can help with anything else.
Thanks,
Jamie Jamison Adams
So I also have a large Scheffleras and it was most definitely exposed to cold and now looks really bad. It is quite large – floor all the way up to the ceiling. I am wondering if there is anyway to save it? The leaves are still on it and still green but are extremely limp looking with a few leaves starting to turn brown and fall off. I’m not sure if I should cut the whole thing right down and try to get it to grow back? Can you make any suggestions to help me?!
Heather,
If the roots didn’t freeze, the plant will start to produce new leaves in a week or two. Remove any leaf that is damage and give the plant a chance to recover.