Abutilon purpurascens
| Abutilon purpurascens | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 8' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
Abutilon purpurascens
Propagation: Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse. The seed germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 15°c[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of young shoots in spring. Very easy, they root quickly[2].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July in a frame[3]. Very easy, they root quickly[2].
Cuttings of mature wood, November in a cold frame.
Cultivation: Requires full sun or part day shade and a fertile well-drained soil[3].
Plants are not very hardy in Britain, they tolerate light frosts and so can be grown outdoors in the mildest areas of the country but are best if given a minimum temperature of 10°c over the winter[1]. It is probably best to grow them outdoors in a tub during the summer and overwinter them indoors from October to April or May[2].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.[3]
Range: S. America - Brazil.
Edibility: Flowers - cooked. Used as a vegetable[2][4][5][6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: A. esculentum. A.St.Hill.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.