Abutilon pictum (Painted Indian Mallow)

Scientific Name

Abutilon pictum (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Walp.

Common Names

Redvein Abutilon, Painted Indian Mallow, Red Vein Indian Mallow, Flowering Maple, Redvein Flowering Maple, Red Vein Chinese Lanterns, Chinese Lantern

Synonyms

Sida picta, Abutilon striatum, Abutilon pleniflorum, Abutilon pseudostriatum, Abutilon thompsonii, Abutilon thompsonii, Abutilon venosum, Sida striata

Scientific Classification

Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Malvoideae 
Tribe: Malveae
Genus: Abutilon

Flower

Color: Yellow to orange-red
Bloom Time: April to September

Description

Abutilon pictum is an evergreen shrub that grows up to 16 feet (5 m) tall and up to 6 feet (1.8 m) wide. Leaves are 3- to 5-lobed and up to 6 inches (15 cm) long. Flowers are bell-shaped, up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) long, yellow to orange-red with prominent dark red veining and five petals. It blooms from April to September.

How to Grow and Care

Abutilon is not an especially difficult plant to grow. During warmer, dry winters, they are sometimes affected by spider mites, and they are known for leggy growth. To encourage bushy growth, prune the plant by 25 percent to 40 percent in the late winter, right when new growth is about to start. Also, throughout the summer, occasionally pinch off new growth to encourage healthy growth. When pruning, make sure to stagger your cuts and remove some large branches to open the plant's canopy. As a final note, these plants dislike acidic soil, so it is unnecessary to add additional lime to your potting mix. Instead, stick with the basic peat-based potting soil and make sure to refresh it as the mixture decomposes and becomes more acidic over time.

Abutilon is a relatively fast-growing plant, especially when they're young. Consequently, younger plants might need to be repotted twice a year, once at the beginning of the growing season and once in the middle. Older plants, however, benefit from being slightly pot-bound, so they should be repotted either every other year or yearly into only slightly larger pots. Pot-bound plants tend to grow more vigorously and bloom better. See more at How to Grow and Care for Abutilon.

Origin

Native to southern Brazil and Argentina, and Paraguay and Uruguay.

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