Containers can be moved outdoors after the last frost, and should be moved back indoors before the first frost in the fall. They do best in a bright, sunny location, but prefer relatively cool temperatures (60’sF). If given sufficient light, many will continue to bloom through the winter. Regular pruning will keep flowering maples compact and promote blooming.įlowering maples are easy to grow in containers and overwinter indoors. They typically do not have any significant insect or disease problems outdoors, but indoor plants are susceptible to the most common insect pests including aphids, mealybugs, scales and whiteflies, as well as spider mites. Plants will struggle if allowed to dry out too much. They grow in almost any type of soil as long as it is well-drained and evenly moist, doing best in rich soils. Grow flowering maple in full sun or partial shade. The variegated forms may be grown more as foliage plants than for their flowers. Flowering maple can be grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or pruned as a standard for a more tree-like effect, and many types can even be used for espalier. They work well in hanging baskets, where it is easier to see the downward facing flowers. Flower color has been expanded by breeders as well, with flower colors ranging from white to reds, yellow, orange, coral and bicolors.Ībultilons can be grown in containers on patios and decks.įlowering maples are a great addition to annual or mixed beds or borders, The can be used alone or with other plants in containers, such as patio pots or window boxes. The species tend to bloom most prolifically in summer and fall, but modern hybrids have been developed to bloom nearly year-round. Hybrids rarely set fruit, but the species produce hemispherical pods (schizocarps) with multiple segments, each containing a few seeds. Many are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. The lantern-like buds (L) open (C), to reveal a central staminal column typical of the mallow family (R). The species generally have yellow or orange flowers, but others have red or pink petals with a darker center. The flowers have staminal columns typical of the mallow family, with multiple stamens fused into a column lined with anthers, and a branched style with head-like stigmas inside the tube (very similar to that of its relative the hibiscus). Solitary, pendent flowers are borne in the leaf axils and branch tips.Īll have a calyx and corolla with 5 parts, with overlapping papery petals fused at the base, opening to various degrees from trumpet shaped to nearly flat. The lantern-like buds open to cup- or bell-shaped flowers up to 3 inches in diameter. The generally solitary pendent flowers are borne on long pedicels from leaf axils or near the branch tips on the current season’s growth. They are low growing woody subshrubs that acts as herbaceous perennials in colder climates, supposedly hardy only in zones 9-11, but will survive in some colder areas as long as the plants have excellent soil drainage. They are upright, branching plants-often with brittle stems-and some varieties have a structure reminiscent of a Japanese maple. The leaves may cause mild dermatitis in susceptible individuals.Ībutilons are small shrubs, often grown as annuals in cool climates. The plants are unrelated to maples ( Acer spp.) but do have palmate leaves often with deep, pointed lobes and/or serrated edges. These plants get part of their common name from the resemblance of the foliage to maple leaves. striatum, or cultivars of other species, such as A. x hybridum, a group of hybrids between A. The plants used as ornamentals are often A. They range in height from 18 inches to 10 feet, and may be herbaceous perennials, shrubs, or small trees. The genus Abutilon is a large group of flowering plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae) with over 200 species occurring throughout the tropics and subtropics. The leaves are palmate, varying in number and depth of the lobes. Sometimes also collectively referred to as Chinese bellflower or Chinese lantern – or just abutilon, flowering maples were popular during the Victorian era, later fell out of favor in the gardening world, but have returned to modern gardens in a plethora of forms. Flowering maples are a group of tender perennials with colorful, bell-shaped flowers.įlowering maples are a group of tender, evergreen perennials often used as seasonal annuals or houseplants in the Midwest.
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