Schefflera leggy growth

Thin new stems and increasingly wide gaps between leaf clusters suggest insufficient light. An old bare lower trunk can instead reflect earlier leaf loss.

Improve light before pruning

Move to brighter indirect light, introducing any direct sun gradually. Rotation can balance growth direction but cannot supply missing light.

Once the plant is growing well, prune above a node to encourage branching. Keep the remaining green canopy and water according to the root ball, which may dry more slowly after pruning. New shoots should grow sturdier; old gaps will not close on their own.