Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina — 23cm / 5L
Hardy schefflera 'Mountain Gem'

Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina

£52.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
23cm / 5L £52.99

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Description

Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem', still sold by most nurseries as Schefflera alpina 'Mountain Gem', is a hardy umbrella plant for the garden. It carries glossy, dark green, hand-shaped leaves of seven to nine leaflets on long red stalks, and the spring flush of new growth is a rich purple-red before it darkens. 'Mountain Gem' is a recent Dutch selection chosen for its compact, upright habit and neat foliage, so it stays bushier and more manageable than wild-collected forms of the species.

Hardiness and seasons. The species is recorded surviving around -15C in cultivation and growers rate 'Mountain Gem' to roughly -10 to -12C, so we treat it as H4, with the caveat that late autumn growth can be nipped by frost. It is evergreen and gives the same bold, tropical outline all year. Older plants may carry clusters of small white flowers in late summer followed by purple berries, but the leaves are the point.

How and where to grow. Light shade or morning sun is ideal, out of cold, drying winds and scorching midday sun. It likes a humus-rich soil that stays lightly moist but drains freely, and copes with clay, loam or sand. Expect a small shrub of 2 to 3m in height and around 1.5 to 2m across over 10 to 20 years. It grows well in a large pot of loam-based compost, which also lets you move it to shelter in a hard winter.

Using it in the garden. Few hardy plants give such a convincing jungle look. Use it as the structural centre of a shady exotic border with ferns, hostas and bamboos, as a specimen in a courtyard, or in a large container by a north or east facing door. The red stems and purple spring growth pay their way against plain green neighbours.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Hardy schefflera 'Mountain Gem'

Give me sun with a little shade and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Hardy schefflera 'Mountain Gem'

Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina needs partial shade or full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H4 (estimated)): down to around −10°C. Hardy through an average UK winter.

Treated as H4, to around -10C, with the species recorded surviving -15C. Shelter from cold wind is essential; fleece young plants in hard frost and move pots to a sheltered spot in winter. Read moreShow less

Treated as H4, to around -10C, with the species recorded surviving -15C. Shelter from cold wind is essential; fleece young plants in hard frost and move pots to a sheltered spot in winter.

Position

Partial shadeFull sunNorth-facingEast-facingWest-facingSheltered
Light or dappled shade, or morning sun; avoid hot midday sun and exposed, windy sites. Read moreShow less

Light or dappled shade, or morning sun; avoid hot midday sun and exposed, windy sites.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Humus-rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil, acid to neutral; clay, loam or sand improved with compost. Loam-based compost in pots. Read moreShow less

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil, acid to neutral; clay, loam or sand improved with compost. Loam-based compost in pots.

Watering

Keep evenly moist through the first two growing seasons and never let pots dry out. Established plants in the ground need water only in prolonged drought. Read moreShow less

Keep evenly moist through the first two growing seasons and never let pots dry out. Established plants in the ground need water only in prolonged drought.

Mature size

Height2 to 3m
Spread1.5 to 2m

Reaches full size in 10 to 20 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Late summer (mature plants only) · White

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Little pruning needed. Remove any frost-damaged tips in late spring once new growth shows; shorten leggy stems at the same time to keep the plant compact.

Toxicity

Schefflera relatives are listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats and dogs (calcium oxalates) and the sap can irritate skin. Treat this species the same way as a precaution.

Native range

Selection of a species endemic to the Fan Si Pan range of northern Vietnam

Family

Araliaceae

Also known as

Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina

Genus

Heptapleurum
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Schefflera alpina 'Mountain Gem' hardy in the UK?

The species has survived around -15C in UK and French gardens and growers rate 'Mountain Gem' to about -10 to -12C. We treat it as H4. Shelter from cold wind matters as much as temperature, and late growth can be caught by early frosts.

Why is it listed as Heptapleurum?

Botanists moved the hardy Asian scheffleras into the genus Heptapleurum in 2020, and both the RHS and Kew now accept Heptapleurum alpinum. Most nurseries still sell it as Schefflera alpina; it is the same plant.

What is special about 'Mountain Gem'?

It is a recent Dutch selection chosen for a compact, upright habit and neat glossy foliage with red leaf stalks, so it stays tidier and smaller than seed-raised plants of the species.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. Use a large container of loam-based compost, keep it evenly moist and stand it in light shade. A pot also lets you move it somewhere sheltered in a hard winter.

Is it safe around pets?

Its close relatives are listed as toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA and the sap can irritate skin, so keep it away from pets that chew and wear gloves when pruning.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina
£52.99