Abutilon pictum
| Abutilon pictum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 16' |
| Width: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
Abutilon pictum (common name: abutilon)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse[1]. Germination should take place within a few weeks. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots. Grow them on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of young shoots, June in a frame[1]. Grow on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[1]. Grow on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Requires a sunny position or part day shade in a fertile well-drained soil[1]. Dislikes drought[1].
This species is only hardy in the very mildest areas of Britain, being intolerant of temperatures that fall much below 0°c[2]. Plants are often deciduous in cold winters[3]. A deep mulch in winter and tying in growth to the wall will maximise protection in winter[1]. If the plant is cut back by cold weather, it can resprout from the base in the spring and can flower on the current year's growth[4].
A very ornamental plant, there are several named varieties[1]. Several of the cultivars have golden-variegated leaves caused by a virus infection, this infection can spread to other plants[2].
Tip-prune young plants to promote a bushy habit[1]. Older plants tend to get rather leggy, but can be cut back almost to the base in order to promote new growth. This is best done in late winter as the plant starts to come into growth[2].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.[1]
Range: S. America - Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Habitat: Cultivated as an ornamental plant, it is not known in a truly wild situation.
Edibility: Flowers - raw or cooked. A delicious sweet flavour[K]. The flowers produce nectar all the time they are open so, assuming the plant is grown indoors and is not visited by pollinating insects, the sweetness increases the longer the flower is open[K].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.