Abutilon
( ab - YEW - til- on )
At-A-Glance Information
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Also known as Flowering Maple, this group of deciduous and evergreen plants includes a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and trees. They are native to the subtropics (particularly South America), and other common names include Parlor Maple, Indian Mallow, Chinese Jute and Velvetleaf. These beauties are known to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, need moderate to regular water, and should receive partial shade in hot climates to protect from drying out. Many of the flowers are bell-shaped, and can make a great, colorful addition to your yard. The petals are 'crepey' (similar to the flower bracts on Bougainvillea vines). Abutilon was popular in the 19th century as an indoor houseplant. If you are looking for more information on how to grow this beautiful tree indoors, see the references section at the bottom of this page.
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AButilon Species and Varietals
Abutilon is a genus of about 200 species of flowering herbaceous shrubs in the family Malvaceae. The best growing zones for Flowering Maple are 8, 9, 12-24, H1 and H2, though this varies by species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Abutilon eremitopetalum (Hidden-Petaled Abutilon, Hiddenpetal Indian Mallow) These plants are native to the dry forests and low shrubland areas of the island of Lana'i in Hawaii. It is considered an endangered species, and was first discovered in 1987. |
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Abutilon fraseri (Dwarf Lantern Flower) This species is endemic to Australia, and forms a small shrub that reaches about 16 inches tall when mature. Leaves are heart-shaped and covered in soft hairs. Flowers are present in spring and summertime, and are yellow. The specific epithet of the species honors Surveyor Sir Malcom Fraser. |
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Abutilon fruticosum (Texas Indian Mallow, Pelotazo, Sweet Indian Mallow) These plants are native to Africa, southern and southwestern Asia, northern Mexico, and the southern-central United States. It is a perennial that reaches about 6 feet tall when mature, and produces foliage that appears grey-green due to hairs. Flowers are orange-yellow and bloom from June through October. This species is drought-tolerant and is used in xeriscaping. |
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Abutilon grandifolium (Hairy Indian Mallow) These plants reach up to 10 feet tall when mature and produce broad green leaves. Flowers are yellow, and the plant is covered in soft hairs. The species is native to tropical America, as well as central and southern Africa. It is a prolific seeder and spreader, and is considered an invasive weed in many areas of the world. |
Abutilon x hybridum (Abutilon Hybrids)
This group of plants are evergreen, and are the most famous in the Abutilon family. Growth is upright and arching, and they can reach 8 to 10 feet tall and just as wide. Leaves are sometimes variegated with white streaks, and flowers can be white, yellow, pink, or red. The main blooming season for these varieties is during the springtime, but plants with white or yellow flowers bloom almost continuously throughout the year, depending on conditions.
'Bartley Schwartz'
This species is graceful, with arching branches and a nearly constant show of salmon-orange flowers. |
'Boule de Neige'
This is a 'spreading' variety in addition to having an upright form, and has beautiful white blooms. |
'Cascade Dawn'
This is a particularly cold-hardy variety of abutilon, is upright and spreading, and has reddish-orange flowers. |
'Kentish Belle'
This variety has arching branches. Flowers are a striking yellow color and have dark red calyxes. |
'Moonchimes'
This is a compact variety, good for smaller spaces. Pale yellow flowers emerge come springtime. |
'Nabob'
Crimson-colored flowers on a large, open-growing plant. |
'Souvenir de Bonn'
These erect plants have leaves edged in creamy white to yellow with soft orange to red flowers. |
'Ashford Red'
This hybrid varietal has deep red flowers. |
'Linda Vista Peach'
With green foliage and salmon-colored to orange bell-shaped flowrs. |
'Canary Bird'
This varietal produces lemon-yellow flowers. |
'Savitzii'
These plants produce beautiful variegated white and green foliage with light orange flowers. |
'Veronica Tennant'
This varietal produces open, light pinkish-purple to white delicate flowers. |
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Abutilon megapotamicum (Trailing Abutilon) This is an evergreen variety originating in Brazil. Vigorous grower up to 10 feet tall and wide. Flowers that appear in spring and summer are red and yellow and resemble lanterns. Branch tips on this variety can be pinched to encourage more bushy growth and to control its size. Can be displayed as an espalier, and also makes a great hanging basket plant. Varieties include 'Marianne' (strikingly colored flowers), 'Variegatum' (mottled yellow leaves; pictured), and 'Victory' (compact with deep yellow blooms). |
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Abutilon menziesii (Ko'oloa'ula) This endangered species of Abutilon is endemic to Hawaii, and forms a sprawling shrub that tops out around 10 feet tall. Leaves are green and vary in shape. Hibiscus-like flowers generally hang downward. Flowers are typically reddish to orange, but can also be pink, bicolored pink and white, pale red, maroon, wine, salmon, or light yellow. |
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Abutilon oxycarpum (Flannel Weed, Straggly Lantern-Bush, Small-Leaved Abutilon) These plants are native to hillsides and floodplains in eastern Australia, and the species was first described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1860. Leaves are heart-shaped and dark green, and yellow flowers are present between the months of May and October. Plants can reach up to 6 feet tall, but are typically seen more around 3 feet in height. |
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Abutilon palmeri (Indian Mallow, Palmer's Abutilon, Superstition Mallow, Palmer's Indian Mallow) This variety grows best in zones 8, 9, and 11-13. This is an evergreen shrub from the lower desert zones of North America. It has a sprawling growth up to 3-5 feet tall and wide. Orange-yellow clusters of flowers appear in the spring, contrasted against its grey-green heart-shaped leaves. Drought tolerant. |
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Abutilon parvulum (Dwarf Indian Mallw, Dwarf Abutilon) These plants are native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, and are perennials that grow from woody roots. Maximum height is 16 inches, and leaves can be oval or heart-shaped. Flowers are orange to red. |
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Abutilon pictum (Redvein Abutilon, Red Vein Indian Mallow, Redvein Flowering Maple, Chinese-Lantern, Red Vein Chinese Lanterns) These shrubs reach up to 16 feet tall when mature, and have a spread of about six and a half feet. Flowers are typically yellow to range-red, and bloom from April through September. Variety 'Thomsonii' has variegated foliage. This plant will bloom almost continuously given the right care and upkeep. Flowers are pale orange, bell-shaped and veined with deep red. |
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Abutilon sandwicense (Greenflower Indian Mallow) This species is endemic to the island of O'ahu in Hawaii. It typically grows in dry forested areas on slopes, and forms a shrub to between 5 and 10 feet tall. These plants are threatened with extinction due to climate change and habitat loss. |
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Abutilon theophrasti (Velvetleaf, Velvet Plant, Velvetwood, Chinese Jute, Butterprint, Abutilon-Hemp, Common Yellow Mallow, Swamp Chinese Lantern) This species is native to southern Asia, and is the type species of the genus. The specific epithet theophrasti honors the ancient Greek philosopher and botanist Theophrastus. Individual plants reach between 3 and 8 feet tall, and have branched, stout stems covered in down. Leaves are large and heart-shaped and flowers are yellow. |
caring for and pruning Abutilon shrubs
Flowering Maple thrives in most moist, well-drained rich soils. Never let the soil become soggy or water-logged. Partial shade is preferred for most varieties, but many can take full sun if provided with adequate water and if the climate is not hot. These plants are also not considered 'cold-hardy', and can be damaged by frost and cool temperatures. Tending to your Abutilon plant, you will notice that there is a marked difference between what is required during wintertime and what is required the rest of the year. For the most part, caring for Abutilon begins with placement in your yard. These plants can be grown in the ground, or placed in a pot (this may be a better choice for cold-weather climates, as it will be easier to bring the plant inside during wintertime). They should be located in a place where they can receive full sun or partial shade, and somewhere they can get a bit of shelter from extremes in temperature change and wind. The planting area (or pot) should be filled with a planting medium that is well draining and enriched with compost.
Abutilons should be mulched around the bottom with an organic compost twice a year, and fertilized in spring and fall every two weeks with a balanced, water soluble fertilizer (18-18-18) mixed at half strength. During the wintertime, stay tuned to your local weather channel to forecast when your first frost will be, as you will want to take extra care in covering or moving your Abutilon to an area that is less frost-prone. These plants can be grown indoors; in fact they are considered indoor plants (hence the nickname 'Parlor Maple'). If you do move your plant inside, make sure it gets a few hours of direct sunlight every day, is placed in a room that does not overheat, and ensure you are not over-watering. Indoor plants need less water than outdoor ones, as water does not evaporate as quickly indoors. Pruning a Flowering Maple is relatively straightforward; they require very little pruning, but branches can be 'pinched' from time to time when they are young in order to encourage a more bushy, less leggy growing habit. The plant can be cut back to maintain a healthy shape in early spring or late fall. During pruning times, remove dead wood and fragile, damaged or in-growing branches. It is also a good practice to clear the inner portion of your plant, so that the interior can receive air and light. As a rule, never cut your plant's main branches back by more than a third.
Abutilons should be mulched around the bottom with an organic compost twice a year, and fertilized in spring and fall every two weeks with a balanced, water soluble fertilizer (18-18-18) mixed at half strength. During the wintertime, stay tuned to your local weather channel to forecast when your first frost will be, as you will want to take extra care in covering or moving your Abutilon to an area that is less frost-prone. These plants can be grown indoors; in fact they are considered indoor plants (hence the nickname 'Parlor Maple'). If you do move your plant inside, make sure it gets a few hours of direct sunlight every day, is placed in a room that does not overheat, and ensure you are not over-watering. Indoor plants need less water than outdoor ones, as water does not evaporate as quickly indoors. Pruning a Flowering Maple is relatively straightforward; they require very little pruning, but branches can be 'pinched' from time to time when they are young in order to encourage a more bushy, less leggy growing habit. The plant can be cut back to maintain a healthy shape in early spring or late fall. During pruning times, remove dead wood and fragile, damaged or in-growing branches. It is also a good practice to clear the inner portion of your plant, so that the interior can receive air and light. As a rule, never cut your plant's main branches back by more than a third.
Propagation
Abutilon can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. If you are propagating from a cutting, keep in mind that you may need to do some pruning to ensure that your new plant takes on the same form as the parent; you will not need to do this if propagating from seed.
Propagating Abutilon by Cutting
Propagating Abutilon by Seed
Propagating Abutilon by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or summer (May to August), before the plant has had time to harden its current season's growth, choose your plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 4-6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip off all of the lower leaves, leaving the top two on the cutting. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in cool, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated Abutilon, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home, either outdoors or inside as a house plant. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new Abutilon.
Propagating Abutilon by Seed
- Keep in mind that the Abutilon plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. Abutilon propagated by seed also take longer to flower after maturing; flowers can take up to two years to pop. To propagate by seed, you will need a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. Most Abutilon plants are hermaphroditic and will be able to self-pollinate. When Abutilon flowers are spent and your plant has been pollinated (which can either happen naturally through insect and animal activity, or helped along by a handy-dandy q-tip) you will notice seed pods begin to form (see photos below). Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Harvest as many as you can, and plant all of them in your tray. They will probably not all sow, and the ones that do will be of varying characteristics, especially with hybrid-variety seeds. The more seeds you plant, the more chances you will have to get the resulting Abutilon you want.
- Barely cover the seeds with planting medium (about 3/4 inch down) and keep the soil moist but not wet by spraying it with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 14-21 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home, either outdoors or inside as a house plant. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new Abutilon.
A new Abutilon seed pod.
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Problems and pests
Abutilon plants are not usually bothered by pests, but if you do notice any unwanted visitors on your plant, you can use a neem oil treatment to clear the infestation. If you are growing your Abutilon indoors, either year-round or solely during winter months, it may also encounter some pest problems, such as whiteflies, spider mites, mealybugs and scale. All of these issues can be solved by using a neem oil treatment. Keeping your Abutilon healthy will discourage infestations. Ensure that your soil is well-draining, as Abutilons do not do well when water-logged. Also, make sure that you're protecting your plant from frost, high temperatures, and wind as all three of these issues can make your plant weaker and therefore more susceptible to other issues. For more information on these issues, including how to prevent and eradicate them, see the links below.
Gallery
Flowering Maple grows well in containers, and can even be brought inside as an indoor plant.
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The striking red color of Abutilon 'Nabob'
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Flowers on the Abutilon plant can be quite a sight to behold, and are definitely a conversation-starter for visitors to your garden.
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Abutilon plants have it all: beautiful flowers, foliage, and ease of care.
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Here, an Abutilon shrub has been planted alongside Canna, Bamboo, succulents, and Milkweed to form a multi-colored display.
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Abutilon make great walk-up plants, and are sure to turn heads.
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videos
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How to grow and prune Abutilon.
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All about Abutilons and the 'Red Tiger' varietal.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 125, Abutilon
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