What does abutilone look like?
Among domestic and other flower growers, abutilon (indoor maple) has become widespread as a perennial tree and shrub.
This form of indoor maple is distinguished by large leaves, as well as drooping lantern inflorescences, which are decorated with long pedicels. Already in the first weeks of spring, abutilon pleases with flowers that begin to fade only in late autumn. Among all the variety of abutilon, there are varieties that bloom constantly. They may vary in the color of the leaves, which may be green, mottled or variegated. Peduncles containing long stamens and a pistil also look original: they can be white, orange, pink, red, gold and burgundy. Also, plants can differ in the shape of the flower, on the basis of which simple and double types of abutilone are distinguished.
Psychologists are also familiar with this plant and consider it a unique plant. According to them, growing abutilone is useful for people who often experience depression. First of all, positive changes from his presence will be felt by people whose work takes place in the office and involves stressful situations. Almost every one of us can feel the calming effect, which primarily manifests itself at the flowering stage of abutilone. At the moment, scientists have not been able to understand what causes this, but most experienced gardeners have seen for themselves the effect of abutilone.
Diseases and pests of home maple
Dangerous pests for Abutilon are scale insects, mealybugs, whiteflies, aphids and spider mites. It is important to frequently inspect the plant, especially the lower leaves, which often become a haven for various parasites. If the indoor maple is nevertheless exposed to pests, then they need to be combated with special chemicals that are available in flower shops.
Common problems
Although the Abutilon maple is an unpretentious plant, if the care technology is not followed, some problems arise:
- leaves and tops dry and curl - bright light, lack of watering or dry air;
- leaves turn yellow and become spotted - lack of microelements;
- stems stretch out - lack of lighting;
- the plant sheds leaves and buds - excessive soil moisture, or, conversely, its drying out, strong drafts, temperature changes.
Abutilon - indoor maple
Anyone can grow the beautiful Abutilon, an indoor maple tree. You just need to give it a little care and attention, and the plant will thank you with lush branches of leaves and bright flowers. Collectors of flowering plants enjoy growing this spectacular flowering shrub.
Reproduction
The method of propagation directly depends on the plant variety. Variegated species reproduce by cuttings, non-variegated species by seeds.
The seeds of the plant are sown in the soil in early spring. Greenhouse conditions are provided for the container, maintaining a temperature of 18 degrees. In this case, it is necessary to ensure regular ventilation and spraying. Under favorable conditions, seedlings will appear already in the 3rd week.
When propagating in another way, cuttings from young shoots are used. They are kept in water until small roots appear, or immediately placed in the soil, while ensuring constant watering. For seedlings, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of no higher than 23 degrees. Rooting occurs in a month.
Despite its sophistication, the flower does not require too much attention. Perhaps that is why it is a “favorite” of both experienced florists and novice gardeners.
Types of abutilone
Hybrid and ornamental varieties of crops, represented by compact bushes, trees or herbaceous plants, are suitable for indoor keeping.
The leaf blades are large (up to 10 cm), carved, flexible, delicate, reminiscent of maple greens. They have an emerald, heterogeneous or spotted color.
The inflorescences are located on long stalks. The shape of the buds resembles bells. Depending on the variety, they can be scarlet, straw, lemon, carrot, snow-white and flamingo shade with numerous stamens.
The most popular types of indoor maple (photo below) are:
- Abutilon Juliet. In 12 months it becomes 50 cm taller, unpretentious to the conditions of detention. Bright flowers reach 6 cm in diameter. By growing from seeds, you can get buds of the most unexpected and bright colors.
- Abutilon Bella. It is a compact branched bush (up to 40 cm in height). Bright bell-shaped flowers reach 7 cm in diameter. Does not require regular pruning and pinching, blooms all year round.
- Grape leaf abutilone. The shrub grows up to 2.4 m, the shoots are softly pubescent, the leaves are deeply serrated, velvety, up to 15 cm long. The buds are on oblong stalks, collected in tassels of 3-4 pieces. The corolla changes shape from broadly bell-shaped to almost round. The flowers are a mixture of azure and lavender, with veins of deeper color in some cases. It begins to bloom in late spring.
- Abutilone megapotamian. The carmine-scarlet base of the corolla of wedge-shaped petals earned it the name “Chinese lantern.” It is often grown as a hanging crop that needs to be tied to a separate support. The leaves are oblong with serrations along the perimeter, rich green or emerald in color. The inflorescences are single, the petals are colored lemon, orange or purple. If you provide the necessary microclimate and follow all the rules of care, it blooms all year round.
- Abutilon Organza. An evergreen subshrub that grows up to 60 cm. In an adult plant, the central shoot becomes woody, the side branches remain flexible, thin, and pliable. The leaves reach 10 cm, have a rich green tint with light, clearly defined veins. The flowers are slightly drooping, up to 7 cm in diameter. They can be golden, pink, orange, snow-white in color of varying degrees of intensity.
- Abutilon Hybrid is a large group of varieties, which includes shrubs and subshrubs, up to 1.5 m high. The leaves, shaped like a heart or a chicken egg, are strewn with hard fibers on both sides. The flowers are bell-shaped, arranged singly or in pairs. The palette varies from snow-white to rich burgundy.
For reference! Theophrastus abutilon (rope plant) is especially valued by the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom and is grown as an important agricultural crop.
It is used to make durable fiber used for technical needs. You may be interested in: Why doesn't hydrangea bloom, what to do? Hydrangea is considered a perennial plant. Many gardeners and gardeners love it very much. There are more than 70 species...Read more...
How to cut abutilone?
At home, abutilon develops very quickly and during the growing season, which lasts from spring to late autumn, produces young shoots of considerable length. Therefore, in potted culture, abutilons must be trimmed, helping the crown to bush and remain compact. In addition, the formation promotes lush flowering, because buds appear only on young shoots.
On this topic:
BACK
FORWARD
1 of 2
Pruning is carried out in spring and late summer, when the main wave of abutilon flowering ends. At the same time, not only weak and damaged shoots are removed, but also at least a third of the length is cut off from strong branches. The resulting cuttings, which have at least 2-3 internodes, should not be thrown away, because this is the best planting material.
It is enough to free the cuttings of abutilone from the lower tiers of leaves, remaining buds and flowers, and then place them in water and cover the container with a bag. After just a few days at temperatures above 22 °C, you can notice a thickening and the beginnings of thin white roots appearing at the end of the stem.
To protect the plant from rotting, you can put an activated carbon tablet or several crushed pieces of charcoal into the water.
The formation of roots ranging from 3 to 7 cm in length means that abutilon can be transplanted to a permanent location. For a young abutilon flower, a pot with a diameter of about 7 cm is enough. A powerful drainage must be made at the bottom, on top of which a small layer of soil is poured and the seedling is carefully transferred into it.
Sprinkle the sprout with a damp substrate very carefully, since the abutilon roots are fragile and can break off. For the same reason, it is better not to specifically compact the soil after replanting. Rooting and acclimatization of abutilon cuttings takes place within a few weeks, as evidenced by the appearance of young leaves
It is good if during this time the plant is in a greenhouse or covered with a bag that creates a constant microclimate.
In three or four weeks, the cuttings take root; shortly after cutting, they are planted in a moist substrate of peat and vermiculite. After a month in the greenhouse, such plants can also be transplanted into individual pots. As a rule, young seedlings bloom actively after a few months, and after the end of the growing season they can already become a source for subsequent abutilon cuttings.
Transplanting abutilone at home
Abutilons are replanted in late winter or early spring, during the dormant period. Young plants need replanting once a year, adults – once every 3 years. The pot should be only 2 - 3 cm larger than the previous one, even for plants with a highly developed root system: it has been noticed that abutilons bloom worse in spacious pots.
In general, what is desirable for abutilon is not replanting with complete cleaning of the roots from the old soil, but transshipment with part of the earthen coma: only the soil that comes off well on its own is cleaned off. The freed roots must be inspected for rot and carefully untangled.
When filling roots, the soil must be compacted. After transplanting, the plant is watered, and then it is useful to cover it with a transparent bag for 2 - 3 days to retain moisture - this reduces the stress of transplantation.
Common varieties
Abutilone
The most common varieties that are usually grown at home are:
1
Abutilon vitifolium. The plant variety is presented in the form of a bush that can grow up to one and a half meters in height. The main difference between the vitifolium variety is its large lobed leaves.
During the flowering period, flowers are formed on the crop, collected in panicles, which are located on long stalks. They can be up to 15 cm in diameter. They have a beautiful lilac-blue hue. You can notice a slight edge on the shoots. With proper care and maintenance, grapevine abutilon begins to bloom in May.
Abutilon vitifolium
2
Abutilone striped. Indoor maple, the photo of which shows that its main feature is its unique color. Sometimes the name “painted” is attributed to the spotted variety. The Latin name is “striatum”. The indoor plant has soft and thin shoots. Leaf blades with spots are located on long petioles.
The foliage is heart-shaped. The surface of the leaf blade is green, distinguished by pale uneven coloring located along the edges. At the end of summer, the crop begins to bloom with bright yellow flowers, which are shaped like bells. The red corolla is pronounced, much longer than the calyx.
Abutilone striped
3
Abutilone megapotamian. Often this variety is also called “Amazonian”. It is a bush with long shoots. The leaf blades are oval in shape with serrated edges. During the flowering period, single flowers are formed on the plant, located on pedicels. Their shape resembles lanterns.
Up to 30-50 of them can form on one bush, depending on the age of the plant. The main difference is the bright red tubular calyx. As for the corolla, it is colored yellowish and also has a wedge-shaped shape. If an indoor maple tree is provided with all the necessary conditions for growing, then it can bloom throughout the year.
Abutilone megapotamian
4
Abutilone Darwin (darwinii, hildenbrandii). This is a very low shrub, reaching a height of no more than 1 m. Outwardly similar to abutilon pictum. The plant bears large, three-lobed terry leaf blades with slight pubescence on a thin stem.
During the flowering period, the indoor maple produces flowers of a bright orange hue. The petals have red veins. In indoor conditions, flowering lasts from April to September.
Abutilone Darwin (darwinii, hildenbrandii)
5
Abutilone hybrid. This variety was obtained by crossing abutilon variegated and abutilon Darwin. The plant is characterized by white, golden and burgundy flowers. Their shade will depend on the specific species. The leaf blades are bright green and have carved tips.
Abutilone hybrid
6
Abutilon sello (sellowianum). Popularly, this variety is often called grandma's abutilone. It is the most common among other types of indoor maple. In just one summer, a cutting 10 cm long can turn into a meter-long shrub or tree.
This culture feels great when grown indoors. The plant can bloom throughout the year.
Abutilon sello (sellowianum)
On the windowsills of gardeners you can also find other varieties, for example, Bella hybrid, Juliet, Bellevue, organza, Marmoratum. All of them have the same bright flowers, ranging from yellow to pink, which will become a real decoration in the room.
Indoor asparagus: types, care rules and methods of propagation at home, benefits and harms | (50+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews
The most common types of abutilone
This flower is quite diverse, because it includes many interesting varieties that can become a worthy decoration in the house.
Abutilon Sello
A characteristic feature of this hybrid variety is the presence of striped leaves. The domestic maple has a weakly branched stem, which produces straight, slightly hairy shoots. The leaves have three elongated lobes with a pointed tip.
This variety is decorated with light purple flowers with pink veins. The flowering time begins in mid-summer and continues until the first frost. When favorable conditions are created, plants can reach 2 m in height.
Abutilone hybrid
This is one of the brightest representatives of American hybrids, which includes many varieties. Most often it grows in the form of an evergreen shrub with brownish bark. The leaves have an unusual appearance, often three-lobed or five-lobed. Pubescence is present not only on the leaves, but also on the flowers, which are shaped like a bell. They are held on petioles reaching a length of 12 cm. Their shade is quite varied, which can be white, red, golden or burgundy. The largest specimens can grow up to 1.5 m.
Abutilone Darwin
Despite the fact that this variety has pronounced decorative properties, it is not so often found in the apartments of flower growers. During the growing season, this species produces large three-lobed leaves, which are supported on long petioles located on silky, pubescent shoots that grow up to 1 m in length. The leaves located in the lower part of the stem can have a seven-lobed shape. The blade located in the middle is usually very elongated. The flowers are bell-shaped, orange with red veins. No more than 3 inflorescences can grow from one axil. This variety of abutilon begins to bloom in the first weeks of April, and the inflorescences wilt at the end of September.
Abutilon Juliet
This variety stands out from others due to its high unpretentiousness. It is also of interest due to its rapid growth, since it can add up to 5 cm per season. Abutilon Juliet is ideal for growing indoors due to its undemanding nature in terms of lighting, and its flowers last throughout the year. The flowers are quite large, reaching a diameter of approximately 6 cm. When growing this variety by sowing seeds, the first flowers can only be expected after 5 months.
Characteristics and description
A more well-known and common name for the culture is indoor maple. In nature, there are more than one and a half hundred species and in natural conditions abutilon grows in the form of shrubs, dwarf trees or herbaceous vegetation. Some varieties of maple are quite impressive in size and reach two meters in height.
Abutilone in its natural environment
Indoor maple abutilon can be perennial, annual, low-growing and tall. There are types of climbing plants, but only a tenth of the varieties are grown indoors. In the tropics, strong fibrous material is extracted from wild trees, from which ropes and wicker items are made.
Domestic maple is loved and grown in many countries and the distinctive feature of this crop is its completely unpretentious maintenance requirements, the ability to quickly gain leaf mass and a fairly attractive appearance. An exotic tree at the moment of flowering can decorate the most ordinary room and create an atmosphere of peace and comfort.
Indoor maple - Abutilon
Thanks to the efforts of breeders, completely new hybrid varieties appear periodically. Amateur flower growers grow abutilon in the form of voluminous bushes and miniature trees. Such indoor plantings differ in shape, growth, color patterns, both leaf mass and inflorescences.
These varieties have larger, dense foliage, sometimes with carved edges. Inflorescences are formed on mature and newly emerging shoots. Usually the buds are collected in small tassels, which, when blossoming, decorate the crop with tiny bells, slightly open bells and large plates of flowers on long tails.
All varieties of culture have one distinctive feature. The structure of the leaf blade is very soft, lobed with pointed serrated tips. These characteristic structural forms are remarkably similar to the outline of a common maple tree leaf.
Immediately after the end of winter, abutilon blooms, and this process lasts until autumn. There are varieties that do not stop flowering all year round. They differ in the colors of the foliage, in which the usual greenery is diluted with spots and stains of various shades. Drooping inflorescences also look unusual, differing not only in colors, but also in flower shapes.
Indoor maple is famous as a unique plant and is quite popular among gardeners. There is an opinion that it is useful to keep abutilone indoors for people prone to nervous breakdowns. The plant in the flowering stage spreads calming and calming energy and prevents the occurrence of depression and stress. It is recommended to plant the flower in office premises, where the emotional atmosphere is constantly tense.
Conditions required for indoor maple
The tropical guest abutilon has firmly established itself in the home collections of Russian flower growers. As experts on this plant say, any spacious window sill with a lot of sun is a suitable place for a home maple tree. Plus it requires plenty of hydration and nutrition.
Table: conditions for indoor maple depending on the season (spring-summer/autumn-winter)
Season | Lighting | Humidity | Content temperature |
Spring Summer | Abutilone is light-loving, but it needs to be shaded from bright sunlight. With the onset of warm days, it is best to take the tub with the plant out onto the balcony or place it in the garden in a semi-shaded place. In the room, the ideal option would be to be located near a window with an east or west orientation. | Humidity is not critical. In hot weather, daily spraying with warm water can be done. | +22–25 °C |
Autumn winter | A very bright place is required, since in winter the plant suffers from a lack of sunlight. A window facing south is perfect. It is also necessary to supplement the abutilon with fluorescent lamps. | Spraying is required when the indoor air is too dry. If the temperature is less than +18°C, the procedure should be stopped completely. | +14–16 °C |
Types of abutilone
Abutilon is a shrub or small tree, actively growing, with large soft palmate leaves of a uniform grass color and very beautiful flowers. The flowers consist of five petals, white, pink, yellow, orange or red. Their texture is attractive - the flowers are very elegant, with well-defined veins along the surface of the petals. They evoke associations with organza, velvet, silk and butterfly wings. The texture is reminiscent of hibiscus flowers.
There are more than hundreds of plant species; hybrid abutilon is grown most often in rooms. Today this is a huge class of a wide variety of abutilons, from vigorous-growing ones (the Feuerwerk variety, up to 100 cm high) to miniature ones (like the Christmas abutilon, up to 30 cm high), with flowers of various shades, nuances of texture, including multitonal ones.
For your information!
For example, the variety "Giant Lilac Vine" has wide-open, very light pink flowers with bright condensation towards the edges and contrasting venation. There are purple markings over the entire surface of the flower. The color is complex, watercolor. And abutilon “Silver Bells” is covered with pristine white flowers with a lush yellow core, and is distinguished by its ultra-compact size (only 25 cm). Both plants give a completely different impression.
Other most famous indoor species:
- Abutilone Bella. This is a popular hybrid mixture from the Russian Vegetable Garden brand. Packaging of seeds 5 pcs. will cost 45 rubles. and will allow you to get plants of different colors: white, pink, tangerine, carmine. The plant has an average height of up to 45 cm and large flowers up to 7 cm in diameter. The bushes are smooth, well branched. The variety attracts with beautifully shaped bushes and flower sizes.
- Abutilone organza. These are seeds from. Pack of 10 pcs. will cost 20 rubles. The seeds are praised for their high germination rate. This hybrid has delicate, pastel colored flowers.
- Abutilone grape leaf (blue). In nature it is a shrub up to 2.5 m in height. The leaves are large, slightly pubescent, palmate, the size of the palm of an adult. The flowers are smaller than those of hybrid varieties. The color is touching and delicate - blue with a lavender tint. The degree of color intensity depends on growing conditions and can vary from faint to bright.
- Abutilone megapotamian. Has the most original flowers. They look like bright red lanterns with yellow tongues. The unusual impression is completed by very long, hairy stamens of a dark purple color. The shoots of the plant are long and graceful. The only species that requires partial shade.
- Abutilon painted. Its goblet-shaped flowers have delicate colors, very often with pronounced veining. The leaves are either green, but more often variegated.
- Corinabutylone Oxena. The flowers are wide open, reminiscent of Malva flowers (recalling that any abutilone belongs specifically to the Malvaceae family). They are painted lavender. The plant is large, up to 1.5 meters, the shoots are whimsically curved, the leaves are up to 7 cm, openwork.
- Corinabutylone Santensa. New. Hybrid of grapeleaf and Oxene. Outwardly, it differs little from corinabutylone Oksena, however, it has a number of advantages: it is more winter-hardy and blooms profusely. The bushes of the plant are very lush, branch well, the greenery is rich, bright, dense, and the flowering is very abundant and long-lasting. The flowers are large and can be painted in different tones, striking with their watercolor delicacy.
Almost all types of abutilons can be grown indoors. However, there are varieties that feel better in garden tubs - in them they show themselves in full force. These are tall, fast-growing and profusely flowering varieties: megapotamian, painted, grape-leaved, all varieties of corinabutylones - this group, in general, is characterized by increased frost resistance and feels great in open ground.
Interesting!
In greenhouse conditions, many types of abutilons can delight with continuous flowering. The secret of success: coolness + plenty of light.
Abutilon Chitendenii (A. Chitendenii)
Like the previous species, this plant, called the Canary tree, has yellow, wide-open flowers. True, the size of the corollas in this case reaches 6–7 cm, and in shape they are similar to hibiscus flowers. The corolla combines five bright textured petals with a reddish or orange spot at the base. The foliage of the plant is rounded-heart-shaped, with a small pile on the back side and a rough front surface.
The abutilon shown in the photo in nature forms a beautiful tree up to 3 meters high; in potted culture it lends itself well to shaping and is grown in large flowerpots. The culture requires a lot of light and good drainage. On summer days, it is useful to take the plant out into the air, where the flowering of abutilon certainly attracts the attention of honey insects.
Features of watering when caring for abutilone
Abutilones are readily “drinked” at home, which is especially noticeable on hot summer days, as well as in the warm, dry air of a room where heating is on. Delayed watering during the active growing season necessarily leads to wilting of the foliage, and in some cases even to the loss of buds and death of the peripheral root system. The plant should not dry out. And the optimal time is considered to be the interval between waterings, when the soil surface dries out a little.
However, when caring for abutil, it is better to focus on the condition of the plant, the size of the pot in which it is located and the temperature of its contents. A small volume of soil loses moisture faster than soil in a large pot. And in the dry air of a heated room, the humidity of the substrate drops much more sharply than when the pet is in the front garden. Much depends on the composition of the soil.
If the plant has a cool winter, it needs to be watered much less frequently, otherwise the moisture not required by abutilone will cause rot on the roots.
Growing from seeds
It is easy to grow abutilone from seeds at home. To begin with, you should select high-quality seed material. To do this, the seeds are placed in a container of water and left for half an hour. Those that float are not suitable for sowing. Among the remaining seeds, the largest ones are selected, without visible defects.
Then take containers for sowing and prepare the substrate. It consists of a sand-peat mixture (proportion 1:1). Then the seeds are sown in this soil, deepening them by 5-8 mm. The soil is moistened. The container is covered with glass or film, creating greenhouse conditions inside.
For seed germination, bright lighting and a temperature of at least +22 degrees are required. In about three weeks the first shoots will appear. As soon as the sprouts form three true leaves, they are planted in separate containers.
Due to the rapid growth in the first year of life, abutilons obtained from seeds must be replanted at least three times. Otherwise, young plants should be cared for in the same way as adult plants. Once abutilon from seeds reaches four months of age, it will begin to bloom. This property is especially valued, since not every plant at such a young age is able to delight with the bright colors of its petals.