ABUTILONS.UK

What are abutilons?

Abutilons can be shrubs or small trees, perennials and annuals, but those most commonly seen - and, indeed all those to be found on this site - are woody shrubs typically growing to between 100cm to 300cm in height, with a few, eg A. Vitifolium, getting a bit bigger than that. They can be found as native plants in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas, but most of those you will commonly come across are native to South America, or derived from species that are.

They are grown for their showy flowers, which are usually pendant, ie hang downwards, and are bell or bowl shaped - some open in shape, others rather more narrow, particularly those of A. Megapotamicum and hybrid cultivars developed from that species. The leaves, which are relatively large, vary in shape but are frequently lobed and like those of the maple tree (acer), giving abutilons the common name, particularly used in America, of flowering maple or parlour maple. Another common name, Indian Mallow, reflects the genus being a member of the Malvaceae (mallow) family.

Like many plants from farther-flung places in the world, abutilons were popularised in the UK by the Victorians who gave them pride of place in their greenhouses and conservatories. Indeed, some of the best varieties date back to that era, Canary Bird being a classic example of Victorian plant breeding.

How many types are there?

Quite a few. The Plant List suggests there are 216 accepted species names in the genus Abutilon. Of those, the only ones you are likely to come across are A. Megapotamicum, the trailing abutilon, or one of the many named varieties derived from the species, or A. Pictum, the red-veined form that gives rise to splendid varieties like Red Tiger or Biltmore Ballgown. Then there is A. Vitifolium, but we are now supposed to be calling that Corynabutilon Vitifolium, so perhaps that doesn’t count. Most of the abutilons you are likely to encounter are hybrids of some kind. There is Abutilon x Milleri, a cross between A. Megapotamicum and A. Pictum, and Abutilon x Suntense (A. Ochsenii x A. Vitifolium), but here we are back in Corynabutilon territory. There is a move to reclassify a number of species as Callianthe, but we haven’t quite got our heads round that yet, and continue, rightly or wrongly, to refer to them all as abutilons.

Most cultivated abutilons are lumped under the label Abutilon x hybridum, a bit of a cop-out indicating that the parentage is unknown or lost in the mists of time. So, given that most plants that we know as abutilons will fall into this category, the question is: how many of them are there? Well, there is no definitive answer to that question. The RHS suggest that there are 231 varieties (or species) known to them, though not all of them are currently easy to find, as some have fleetingly appeared in their Plant Finder, only to drop out of circulation again. And that’s not taking account of all the wonderful varieties that are available across the Atlantic from places like Monterey Bay Nursery but haven’t found their way over here yet. But what that does tell us is that there is a lot of choice of varieties out there, and it will be a serious collector indeed who gets anywhere near to completing their collection! Eric and Teri Turner, holders of the Plant Heritage National Collection of abutilons, currently have 5 species and 126 named cultivars, so they’re not doing badly on that front.

How do I grow abutilons?

As noted above, abutilons come in a variety of shapes and sizes and lend themselves to different situations and methods of cultivation, either in the garden or as pot grown specimens. Abutilon Vitifolium and Abutilon x Suntense form largish upright shrubs and can be grown as freestanding specimens in the garden or against a wall, preferably in a sunny position sheltered from the wind. The hybrids derived from Abutilon Megapotamicum, such as Kentish Belle, can be quite lax and floppy in their growth habit and so are best suited to growing against a wall or fence, again in a sheltered position. The bushy forms of Abutilon x hybridum can be planted as freestanding specimens, but we favour growing them in a large patio pot, which allows you to move them around outdoors as you wish from spring to autumn and then placed in a sheltered corner or brought into a greenhouse or conservatory when winter arrives. They will often continue to produce flowers through the winter if brought in out of the cold.

Abutilons need a well drained soil so, if planting in a pot, use a good quality John Innes number 3 or similar with the addition of some horticultural sand and/or grit to avoid waterlogging of the growing medium. We have our own recipe, based on a high proportion of coir, which works very well for us. They are greedy plants - unsurprising, given the length of the blooming season - so from spring to autumn you should feed them with a liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks. Alternatively, use something like Vitax Q4 early and mid to late season.

Abutilons are fairly trouble-free things to grow, but indoor plants can suffer from whitefly, to control which there are a number of organic treatments on the market. Snails - particularly juvenile ones - are not adverse to climbing up an abutilon and munching on the leaves: if you see shredded foliage, that’s your likely culprit. Other than that, there’s not much to worry about.

How hardy are they?

Not a straightforward question to answer and made more tricky by the fact that we live in south Hampshire (in a sheltered spot) which is prime H3 territory (H3 is one of the RHS’s hardiness ratings). They rate abutilons as either H2 or H3 depending on variety, which means some will need bringing in or protecting once temperatures reach 0C and others will take -5C. But these are but rough assessments and much depends not just on where in the UK you live, but also the micro-geography of your garden and its consequent micro-climatic conditions. As a rough rule of thumb, an occasional light frost is unlikely to do much damage, prolonged frosting may cause leaf loss, severe frost or freezing conditions for periods of 24 hours or more may kill plants. For example, the Beast from the East of a few years ago, with its temperatures down to -10C and prolonged snow cover, did for unprotected abutilons here on the nursery that had survived normal winters problem-free. Covering outdoor plants with horticultural fleece is therefore advisable if the weather forecast suggests freezing temperatures; fleece can be left in situ for a period of time without any problem. Abutilon Megapotamicum and hybrids based on that species are, in our experience, generally hardier than most and can often take -5C to -8C in a sheltered position. A. Vitifolium and A. x Suntense are hardier still, usually being able to withstand temperatures down to -10C. But, as we say, it’s not an exact science, as there are various factors in play.

Do I need to prune an abutilon?

Yes, you do, as by doing so you will get lots of fresh new growth and a well shaped plant. Usual rules apply, ie use sharp clean secateurs, and make the cut just above an outward facing bud point. Pruning can be undertaken at the following points in the season:

EARLY SEASON. This is when you should cut back hard to encourage vigorous new growth and so guarantee a season-long flowering display. Don’t be afraid to be seemingly quite severe in how far back you go; most people are probably too cautious in wielding the secateurs. This video is a good demonstration of how to do it.

MID SEASON. During the growing (and flowering) season, it is a good idea to do some light pruning to keep things in shape and to avoid your abutilon shrub becoming leggy. You don’t need to cut back too far, just enough to maintain bushiness.

LATE SEASON. We like to cut back our abutilons before the winter, around late October or early November, before we put them in their pots into a nice cosy (unheated, mind you) greenhouse so they are out of the worst of the winter weather. How far back we cut them varies: some might be cut back pretty much as in spring, others we might take back to about two thirds of their current height. This rather depends on where an individual plant is going to be overwintered. The latter would apply to plants grown outdoors, so reducing their height to prevent them catching too much wind (though hopefully they will be in a well sheltered spot!) but not butchering them.

Where can I buy abutilons?

The big garden centres tend not to offer much in the way of abutilons in their range of plants; not sure why this should be the case, but there it is. Online there are a few nurseries that list them in varying numbers, but we shall leave it up to you to find them and, rather selfishly, will point you in the direction of our own nursery Paddock Plants. There you will find at least some of the cultivars that we propagate: there are others we grow that may not be listed, so, if you are looking for something in particular, you may want to contact us via the form that is linked in the top menu.

Any more questions? Get in touch with us via the contact form linked from the main menu.

Rob & Joanna