octopus tree

Heptapleurum actinophyllum (Endl.) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett

Octopus tree takes its common name from the long, outward-radiating branches of its flower display. Small red flowers gather along these arms above the foliage. The same tree is often called umbrella tree because its leaflets spread from a central point, making each compound leaf look like an open umbrella. Missouri Botanical Garden: Heptapleurum actinophyllum

Botanical name

Kew accepts Heptapleurum actinophyllum (Endl.) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett and lists Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) Harms as its homotypic synonym. Kew POWO: Heptapleurum actinophyllum

Recognizing the plant

A leaf commonly contains seven to sixteen green leaflets, each oval to elliptic and potentially thirty centimetres long. Outdoors in its tropical habitat, the tree can reach about fifteen metres. The flowers are followed by small, rounded dark fruits. Familiar indoor specimens remain smaller and rarely produce the conspicuous flowers and fruits of mature outdoor trees. Missouri Botanical Garden: Heptapleurum actinophyllum

Native range

It is native from southern New Guinea into northern Australia. Australian rainforest botanists record it from near sea level to about 1,000 metres, most often in rainforest but also in wetter open forest. Plants may grow directly on the ground, on rocks or as epiphytes in tree crowns. Kew POWO: Heptapleurum actinophyllum Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants: Schefflera actinophylla

Ecological relationships

The flowers attract insects, including introduced honey bees, and nectar- or pollen-feeding birds. Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants: Schefflera actinophylla

Several bird species eat the fruits, including the brown cuckoo-dove. Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants: Schefflera actinophylla

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.