Schefflera J.R. Forst. & G. Forst.

No information available on this topic.

Canada

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Disease: Cascara has been found to be susceptible to laboratory
exposures of crown rusts [29].

Herbicides: Garlon 4 and Tordon 101 applied during early foliar
development top-killed 95 percent of cascara 3 years after treatment
[19].

More info for the terms: frequency, mesic, tree, vine

In Hawaii, octopus tree occurs in mesic, disturbed and undisturbed habitats below 3,300 feet (1,000 m) [46,56]. In Florida, octopus tree is particularly invasive in wet, rocky areas in hammock habitats [31]. Growth of octopus tree is likely best on rich, moist soils in full sun [15].

Climate: Octopus tree is capable of establishing and spreading in tropical and warm-temperate climates [21]. In its native rain forest habitats of northern Queensland, average daily temperatures in the hottest months are 86 to 90 °F (30-32 °C) and in the coolest months are just 9 to 13 °F (5-7 °C) lower. Annual precipitation for 2 towns near the rain forest averaged 172 inches (4,382 mm) and 142 inches (3,609 mm). Ninety percent of the precipitation occurred over a 6-month period, and during this time, precipitation events of 20 inches (500 mm)/day were possible [25].

In the United States, octopus tree is generally restricted to areas where the average annual minimum temperature is above 30 °F (-1 °C) ([15], review by [32]). A few days of freezing temperatures are tolerated [33], and a horticultural reference reports that octopus tree grows where temperatures are generally above 18 °F (-8 °C) [36]. Octopus tree is moderately drought tolerant [15]. In southeastern Oahu, Hawaii, octopus tree occurred at the upper limit of the xerotropical region, near the Merriam moisture line, where annual precipitation averages 50 to 60 inches (1,270-1,520 mm), and precipitation and evaporation levels are nearly equal [13].

Soils: Octopus tree grows on slightly alkaline to acidic and occasionally wet to well-drained soils and is somewhat salt tolerant [15,33,37]. However, growth may be best on rich, moist soils [15]. In northern Australia, octopus tree occurred in wet/basic and wet/acidic monsoon rain forests. Its frequency was 70% in lowland spring areas with deep, humic, loamy soils over clay; 50% in forests with springs on sandstone slopes with deep sand colluvia; 40% in forests on deep, moist, surficial loams over sand; and 30% in lowland springs at floodplain or coastal margins on deep, organic, clay loams with water tables near the surface [42]. In northern Queensland, octopus tree occurred in mixed mesophyll vine rainforests on well-drained siliceous sands [25].