Octopus Plant (Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) Harms)

Some of the Octopus Plant are in full bloom. The blooms are about 4' long, each. . .and illustrate why this is commonly called 'Octopus Plant.' In the image above you can see one of the hundreds of bees that were enjoying the flowers in the top left of image (click on image for a larger view).

I have one specimen of this species that tops 30' but has no blooms. The pictured specimen was about 20' tall with bloom. Others, at the house in Debary are only as tall as the roof line having been repeatedly frost-bitten back and/or wind damaged to that height.

Schefflera are listed by the Florida Exotic Pest Council as an invasive plant species. Despite that listing -- at this latitude (appx. 29.5 N.) -- I have never witnessed any reproduction of Schefflera.