House Plant Index
FLOWERING MAPLE
Abutilon hybridum
| Flowers |
Continually if grown properly |
| Potting or re-potting time |
Any time of the year |
| Position in garden during summer |
Light shade |
| Potting Mixture |
4 |
Abutilon was a favorite window plant a hundred years ago it still is. The leaves are very similar in shape to those of the Japanese maple; in several of the horticultural varieties they are exquisitely variegated. The flowering maple seldom rests. If the plant is kept bushy by repeated pruning of new shoots, bell-like flowers will be present most of -the time. The flowers differ in color according to the variety grown; they may be red, purple, yellow, or white.
Flowering maple-no relative of the tree bearing that name, but a member of the mallow family-is temperamental about one thing only. It must have lots of fresh air, or no flowers open and even the foliage droops disconsolately. Otherwise it is a most amenable subject in the house.
For the amateur, propagation by stem cuttings is the simplest method. They may be taken at any time and rooted in water or sand.
The hybrid varieties are those most commonly grown and the easiest to obtain, yet there is a Chilean species, which deserves the acclaim of every grower. It is Abutilon vitifolium. The large leaves of this plant are heart-shaped and covered with white hair, as are many of the stems. Flowers are lavender and about: 2 1/2 inches across. |
