Something is killing my umbrella tree. I have sprayed it with neem oil to no effect. Help!
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Shino. It's brilliant to have you join us and many thanks for your question on umbrella tree care.
I am not seeing the usual signs of disease or chemical burn, such as large brown necrotic patches or whole leaves collapsing. Instead, the leaves that remain have irregular, chewed‑out edges, which strongly suggests that something is eating the foliage rather than the plant dying from within. The stems look healthy and firm, and I see new growth, which again points toward foliage loss rather than overall plant decline.
My first thought would be a chewing insect, such as caterpillars, beetles or even grasshoppers, because they leave exactly the kind of torn, scalloped leaf edges shown in your images. Neem oil often has limited impact on chewing pests unless they ingest it directly, so it is not unusual that it did not improve the situation. If the damage is occurring mostly overnight and the culprits are hiding during the day, you might need to check the plant at dawn or dusk, or look for droppings, small caterpillars or beetles on the underside of remaining leaves. The good news is that umbrella trees (Schefflera) are hardy, and if the growing tips remain intact, they typically bounce back once the pest is controlled. On a plant of this size, you might be best to reach out to an arborist, who is also a tree doctor, to see if there are any professional-grade insecticides that could assist.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
