Abutilon - Flowering Maple
8/2/2024 3:26 pm
Abutilon - Flowering Maple
Abutilon 'Orange Hot Lava' - Photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery
The leaves of Abutilon give rise to the plant's common name, "Flowering Maple," as they resemble maple leaves. That said, the flowers more resemble downward facing hibiscus flowers. Indeed, Abutilon is a botanical cousin to hibiscus. The flowers of Abutilon are more closed, however, in a downward bell or lantern shape. Another common name for Abutilon is "Lantern Flower."
Close up of Abitulon 'Apricot' flowers
It is the flowers that are the star of Abutilon. Super rich in nectar, hummingbirds abandon their preference for tubular flowers to feed on Abutilon. I have witnessed them systematically explore nearly every flower on a plant in a single visit! Bees and other pollinators are also fond of Abutilon's nectar. And since a well-sited Abutilon will bloom from late spring to frost, it is a great plant for the pollinator garden.
Abutilon 'Apricot'
Not every Abutilon is hardy in zone 7b or 8a, however, but quite a few are, including the very garden friendly Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern' series. When purchasing Abutilon, even locally, be certain to check the hardiness zone for the plant. Forms like A. 'Tiger's Eye', A. 'Victor Reiter' are not cold hardy here, but can be grown as houseplants too and they have a long history of being kept as show plants indoors.
Abutilon likes full sun to grow best in our area, although it will do fine with most day sun. Plants in part shade will come back slower and bloom later in the year than ones in good sun, however. They will also bloom more sparsely. The ideal soil for growth is evenly moist but well drained, but they can also do fine in fairly dry soil too.
Abutilons are floriferous. -- yielding loads of flowers over a long period of time -- adding to its attraction as a garden centerpiece. An Abutilon in full sun can bloom from June to frost. These plants are rarely touched by insects or disease when grown outdoors. Indoors, whitefly can be an issue.
In very mild winters, Abutilon may not die fully back to the ground and can remain semi-evergreen. In colder years, Abutilon will take on a woody appearance. Do not cut Abutilon back hard in late fall or winter or you may lose the plant. Wait until spring and watch for sprouting before doing any trimming. After very cold winters, you will likely only have ground sprouts and you may cut off the dead wood above these. After mild winters, you may get sprouting on the older branches.
Hybrid cultivars with "fruity" names like Orange, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Apricot are all lovely and very similar to each other except for flower color. They tend to grow from 3-6' tall by 2-3' wide. The color spectrum for these plants runs from yellow to red combinations, with one less than compelling white form available in the "Lucky Lantern" series.
Increasingly, hybridization is producing dual color Abutilons with distinct veins and contrasting calices like the salmon-apricot Abutilon 'Fool's Gold' or Abutilon 'Orange Hot Lava,' which is a hybrid of the distinctive Abutilon megapotamicum.
Abutilon 'Fools Gold' - Photo courtesy of Plant Delight Nursery
If you've got the space and the sun, you might try this larger Brazilian form of Abutilon. Each flower of Abutilon megapotamicum has a bright red calyx that remains highly visible contrasting with the yellow petals that give a sneak peak of the red reproductive organs within. A. megapotamicum can reach 6'h x 10'w. It is cold hardy to 10 degrees, so it won't die back in mild winters.
Abutilon megapotamicum - Photos courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery
There are also variegated forms of Abutilon on the market, like Abutilon pictum 'Souvenir de Bonn.' My personal experience is that they are not among the healthier or hardier forms, so plant to grow those as annuals or take in as houseplants if you want to be certain to keep them over winter. I am also of the personal opinion that the variegation distracts from the beauty of the flowers, but the foliage is quite lovely on its own.
Abutilon pictum 'Souvenir de Bonn' - Photo Courtesy of Woodlanders
A good source of Abutilon in past years has been the UGA Trial Garden sale in April each year. The Kai Garden in Atlanta and Grower's Outlet in Loganville have previously sold forms of Abutilon too. Woodlanders also features a couple options. Mail order sources at time of print include Dancing Oaks, Plant Delights, Select Seeds, Logee's and Annie's Annuals.
Contributed by Liane Schleifer
