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Schefflera digitata
Also called Patē, Seven Finger
Patē (Schefflera digitata) is an evergreen tree native to New Zealand, usually 4 to 6 metres tall, with palmate leaves of about seven leaflets. It grows best in damp, shady forest conditions, often along stream banks.
Schefflera digitata, commonly known as patē, seven finger (or seven-finger), is a species of tree in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is widespread in the North, South, and Stewart Islands. It occurs in lowland to montane forests from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft). It prefers damp, shady parts of the forest and is common along stream banks. It is the only New Zealand member of the genus Schefflera, which has 12 other species in Oceania.
Schefflera digitata usually grows to heights of 4–6 metres (13–20 feet). The species is often confused with five-finger (Pseudopanax arboreus). S. digitata was first described in 1776 by the German naturalists Georg and Johann Reinhold Forster. S. digitata is pollinated by insects. The fruits are dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivores), such as birds. S.
Schefflera digitata's seeds are dispersed by fruit-eating animals such as birds. Several birds have been recorded as seed dispersers, including bellbirds (Anthornis melanura), kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), kōkako (Callaeas), tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), stitchbirds (Notiomystis cincta), and silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis). Pollination is achieved by insects. The caterpillars of the patē owlet (Meterana merope) feed on the tree. S. digitata also plays host to the New Zealand vegetable bug (Glaucias amyoti) and lemon tree borer (Oemona hirta). S. digitata is also a primary host of the root parasite, Dactylanthus taylorii.
Schefflera digitata's timber was used by indigenous Māori to obtain fire by friction. There are no recorded uses of the timber by European settlers. The juice of the fruits was used as a dye by Māori, and Europeans used it as a substitute for ink. S. digitata's Māori names include patē, patatē, kōtētē, and kohi.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Schefflera digitata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
