Schefflera actinophylla is native to northern Australia and southeastern New Guinea. A weed of closed forests, rainforests, open woodlands, waterways (i.e. riparian areas) and coastal environs in these areas. It is shade tolerant and invades disturbed or undisturbed forests and coastal bushland.It is widely grown in temperate climates as an ornamental houseplant. Schefflera will grow in full sun or partial shade on a wide variety of well-drained soils but require full sun to flower. Trees will display their best growth on rich, moist soil in a full sun location. In Kampala, Australian ivy palm can be found along Bukoto street, Jinja road within Sheraton gardens among other places.

Medium-sized evergreentree, up to 15 m tall in natural habitat but only 8 m under cultivation, with single or multi-stemmed trunks.The thick branches are marked by conspicuous leaf-scars when they are young. They are dark green in color, and covered with whitish spots (i.e. lenticels).

BARK: greenish, older trunks in greyish or greyish-brown in color and relatively smooth.

 LEAVES: alternate with petioles up to 61 cm long, compound palmate, 7 - 16 stalks leaflets arranged in a whorl, leathery, oblong - elliptic in shape, shiny, light green, oblanceolate, up to 30 cm long, and entire margins (or sparsely toothed when young).

FLOWERS: borne in dense clusters 10 - 15 stiff and long stalks radiating from a single point, up to 60 cm in length that form a large, red, showy inflorescence at stem tips above foliage. Individual flowers red and small, 0.6 cm wide, bisexual, fragrant with 11 petals, 11 stamens and no sepals. 

FRUITS: purplish black, round, fleshy drupes up to 7 mm in diameter, containing up to 8 seeds.

An ornamental tree.

Can be planted as an indoor plant.