Schefflera brevipedunculata is my favorite plant in the garden; this week…

Schefflera brevipedunculata is first and foremost (and obviously) a schefflera. Ya’ll know I am head over heels for the scheffleras. And while I’ve always been pleased to have this plant in my garden I’ve never been “in love” with it like I am my other schefflera. You see I fell for, and dreamed about, S. taiwaniana and S. delavayi long before they were mine. Schefflera brevipedunculata is a plant I stumbled upon one afternoon and snatched up.

Early this spring when I moved the “too big for the space” Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' I thought long and hard about what to put in its place. Logic said it should be a mid-sized perennial, something better suited size-wise. But darn it, I had this wonderful “multi-stemmed shrub or small tree” that needed a place in the ground and I like seeing something evergreen in this spot. Something kind of large.

So here it is, and I’m loving it. The leaves are smaller than the Fatsia, so maybe even if it starts to lean out into the path it will still be okay?

Speaking of the leaves I accidentally broke off one of the two growing tips earlier this spring. On some level I knew it was like “pinching back” and it would recover.

But seeing that glorious silver new foliage fall to the ground was heart-crushing. However there is a happy ending and I now have 3 growing tips rather than two.

And the older one is going to bloom, not that their blooms are anything to write home about.

So why is this plant my favorite this week? Because as I pass by it I’ve come to really focus on, and love, the strange leaf pattern of 3 held above 5 ...

The stats on Schefflera brevipedunculata:

• evergreen shrub, hardy in USDA Zones 7 thru 10
• likes partial shade to full sun (although I doubt the bit about full sun)
• needs regular watering
• 10 to 15 feet tall and wide (!!!)

Monrovia's description: From the mountains of Vietnam comes this unique multi-stemmed shrub or small tree with umbrella-like palmate leaves. Stunning tropical foliage emerges pale fawn in spring, maturing to rich deep green. Mid-summer flowers are followed by purple fruit. Adds excellent texture to the landscape. Makes a superb container plant in colder climates. Newly recognized in the Flora of China, the name of Schefflera brevipedunculata is a work in progress. A close ally to Schefflera alpiinia this unique shrub may indeed prove to be a variety of it.

Is there anything you've noticed looking especially good in your garden this week?

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