Abutilon flower is ubiquitous in the wild in the tropics and subtropics. There he feels comfortable, a favorable environment contributes to this. In other climatic zones, this plant is found only as a houseplant, and grows in the homes of many gardeners.
Abutilon indoor: flower description
Abutilon (indoor maple) is a plant popular among flower growers due to its bright flowering, which lasts almost all year round. In addition, it is easy to care for, so it is suitable for beginner flower lovers, grows quickly and easily multiplies.
Abutilon in the wild
Abutilon has a number of other names that have taken root among the people. The most popular is indoor maple. It came from its specific form of maple leaves. Another name - Chinese lanterns - was due to the bright, lowered down flowers, similar to Chinese lanterns.
For your information! Abutilon is also called a cable car, as hard fiber is made from its shoots in China and India, from which burlap, ropes, and ropes are obtained.
The leaves of abutilon are wide enough and quickly evaporate moisture. Due to this, you can increase the humidity in a room with dry air. Home maple is not a poisonous plant, it does not cause allergies, so it can be kept in houses where there are small children and pets that can encroach on its bright appearance and wish to taste a beautiful leaf or a bright flower. In addition, the plant has a number of medicinal properties that can be used by traditional medicine lovers in the treatment of certain diseases.
Indoor Abutilon - a plant whose appearance depends on the variety. Breeders try, and new varieties of it are constantly appearing. Their maple-shaped leaves and bright, rather large flowers are omitted.
A variety of varieties of abutilone indoor
The most common types of abutilone
Modern varieties of home maple are hybrid abutilons, i.e., obtained artificially based on breeding material. But their origin is of little concern to gardeners, as the result most often exceeds any, even the most daring expectations. Today, home maple is a flower that absolutely everyone will like precisely because of the abundance of new bred varieties.
Abutilon Bella
It is believed that Abutilon Bella is a separate plant variety. But it is not so. In fact, Bella is this whole series of hybrid varieties, combined with each other by common signs.
Note! This hybrid appeared at the end of the 20th century. in USA. This is the first variety obtained specifically for indoor cultivation of abutilon on the windowsill.
Varietal features of Abutilon Bell are as follows:
- small, compact bush size (up to 40 cm high), thanks to which it becomes convenient to grow them indoors;
- small internodes;
- plentiful flowering;
- long flowering period (blooms from mid spring to mid autumn);
- wide open flowers;
- plants need minimal nipping, as they branch perfectly on their own.
Important! Inexperienced gardeners can make a mistake with the variety. To avoid this, you need to pay attention immediately to all the signs of Bella. Even if the flowers of the plant are wide open, but it is tall and poorly bushy, then this is another hybrid.
Abutilon Bella
Abutilon Bellevue
Abutilon Bellevue is a hybrid mixture, a varietal mix, obtained by crossing various decorative plant species that do not have their own names, but with their common properties. The name of the Bellevue variety translates as "beautiful view." The following features are characteristic of it:
- large bell flowers with a diameter of 5 cm;
- small main stem;
- small gaps between internodes;
- well leaves and branches;
- variety of colors. When buying seeds, it is impossible to guess which color will fall. However, in one bag, seeds of one shade are usually sold.
Important! When buying seeds of Bellevue rope, you should definitely pay attention to the date of collection of seeds. They retain viability only for the first two years from now. The later harvested, the greater the chance of germination.
Abutilon Bellevue
Abutilon Juliet
Abutilon Juliet is very loved by flower growers, due to its characteristics:
- the height of this hybrid can reach 150 cm;
- high growth rate. May grow by 50 cm annually;
- large up to 15 cm leaves of carved maple shape and a very bright green color;
- can bloom six months after germination (subject to all conditions);
- flower diameter 5-6 cm;
- high brightness of flowers. It can be pink, yellow, orange, red;
- Suitable for growing even for beginners.
Note! If you put two abutilon plants of this variety of different colors next to each other, as a result of pollination, you can get a new color of abutilon flowers.
Abutilon Snow White
A cute variety of home maple that is easy to grow on window sills due to its compactness. Distinctive features of Snow White are:
- one of the most compact plant species with a height of not more than 30 cm;
- very low growth rate;
- medium (4-6 cm) wide open snow-white flowers;
- small dark green leaves (5 cm);
- plentiful and long flowering.
Abutilon Snow White
Abutilone variegated
Variegated this flower was called no coincidence. The original color of its leaves contributed to this. Their main color is bright green, yellow blotches are clearly distinguished on it. The brighter the sunlight, the larger the size and number of these blotches. It features the following characteristics:
- height can be selected at your discretion. You can grow a small plant up to 50 cm, and form a standard tree up to 150 cm in length;
- in sunlight, the spray on the leaves changes color. They may turn yellow or turn white. With a lack of sun, they acquire a light green color;
- moderate flowering;
- the diameter of the bell flowers is average (4-7 cm);
- leaves are large 7 cm in length.
Abutilone variegated
Abutilon Savitsky
Abutilon Savitsky is a low variegated shrub, for which you need to carefully look and cut it in time. Stems can grow 1.5 m per year. To arrange a beautiful small bush, you need to regularly shorten it. This is the only feature of the care of the plant, in all other respects it is quite unpretentious.
Its main charm lies in the marble coloring of green-yellow leaves. Its flowering is sparse, the flowers are small up to 4 cm. The life span of each flower is no more than three days. Despite the small number and size of flowers, the plant looks very impressive and original.
Note! This variety was bred by foreign breeders. The variegation of the leaves was obtained as a result of infection with their special form of the virus. But this virus will not spread to other flowers, so there is nothing to fear.
Abutilon Savitsky
Abutilon Amelie
This variety was bred relatively recently in 2013 by Petersburg breeder A. Shitova. Its main feature is wide-open flowers, reaching a diameter of 10 cm. The flowers consist of five petals arranged in a circle. They are pearlescent, their color resembles creme brulee. The flower is low, up to 30 cm in height, flowering is plentiful. The flowers change color over time, becoming a more saturated pink color.
Abutilon Striped Indoor Maple
This variety of funicular has other names - motley, spotted, painted. It consists of short, thin shoots that can lignify over time. Bell-shaped flowers of medium size. Color bright orange with red veins. Late flowering, beginning only in the second half of summer. Inflorescences can be not only simple, but also terry.
Abutilon Vera
Vera is another young plant hybrid of the same 2013, bred by a Russian breeder. Distinctive properties are as follows:
- compactness. The view is perfect for growing indoors, since its height does not exceed 30 cm;
- salmon color of wide open inflorescences with a diameter of 5-7 cm;
- abundant flowering with bouquets, in each of which 3-4 flowers are located immediately;
- atypical heart-shaped leaf shape. Their length is about 7 cm;
- does not need to be trimmed; it is formed completely independently.
For your information! The hybrid got its name in honor of the mother of T. Tsepkova, the breeder who bred him. It was she who noticed him on the shelf, among other hybrids, and admired his tenderness and beauty.
Abutilone Radiant
The radiant hybrid, due to the color of its flowers, received another name - sunny. Bred in Russia in 2015. Its main characteristics:
- self-forcing the bush, does not need pruning;
- plentiful year-round flowering;
- constant bright color, not changing when changing lighting;
- bright yellow with red veins wide open flowers;
- medium-sized leaves (5-7 cm), ternate-lobed;
- height 30-60 cm;
- thick, lush crown.
Abutilone Radiant
Abutilon Cleopatra
Cleopatra is a medium-sized hybrid whose height in adulthood is about 40 cm. It cannot form a crown on its own, therefore this variety needs to be nipped and trimmed. In a young plant, the leaves have an ovoid shape, later a form is formed that is standard for most representatives of this species. The corolla is a wide-open bell whose diameter reaches 7 cm. The color of the petals at the base is pale yellow, turning into peach, and then into pink.
Note! It is characterized by moderate, almost year-round flowering.
Abutilon Megapotam
Abutilon Megapotamian (Amazonian) has an original appearance that distinguishes it from other ropes. This is an ampelous variety of plants, rarely found in Russia. Under natural conditions, the length of the branches can reach 2.5 m. The home variety is a medium-sized bush, the branches of which are flexible, the leaves are bright green with yellow spots. Flowers - drooping lanterns with a long peduncle. The lanterns themselves are red, the inner petals are yellow, the purple stamens stand out strongly. Flowering continues from mid-spring to mid-autumn, but with skillful care it can last even longer. Like all Chinese lanterns unpretentious.
Abutilon Victorian Lady
Incredibly beautiful and unusual terry variety Victorian Lady is a medium-sized bush with a straight, branching stem. Its distinctive feature is the terry terry form of inflorescences rarely found for abutilon. They are quite large, in diameter can reach 10 cm, with a large number of petals. The color of the variety is pale pink; bright yellow stamens are clearly visible inside. The leaves are medium, heart-shaped. Blooms Victorian Lady from April to mid-September, but under good growing conditions, it can please bloom year round.
Abutilon Victorian Lady
Abutilon Sello
Sello is one of the most common types of home maple. Any florist is familiar with it. It is called the first variety of cable car, which appeared in the USSR. It has been grown in the country for several decades and is passed on from generation to generation. Love him for the following:
- high growth. Even in an apartment, it can grow up to 2.5 m in height;
- beautiful bell flowers with a diameter of 4-7 cm are most often bright orange;
- the leaves look like maple, bright green, slightly pubescent;
- pronounced venation of leaves;
- unbranched, in need of pruning;
- single bloom;
- long flowering period - from early May to late November.
Important! Sello cultivation can be done not only in the room, but also in the open air (it is better not to transplant from the pot). But he must winter in a warm room.
Abutilon The Little Prince
The little prince got its name undeservedly, because in fact its growth is not so small, it reaches 1.5 m in height. The flowers are drooping, inflorescences-bells 5-7 cm in diameter. Color can be white, red or golden with pronounced veins. It blooms from May to October.
Abutilon Lilac Wonder
Lilac Wonder is a very spectacular cable car hybrid, shaped like a powerful bush with vibrant colors. It tolerates pinching and trimming, even cardinal. Its main characteristics:
- powerful independent barrel, which does not require additional support;
- flower type - wide-open bell, with a diameter of up to 7 cm;
- bright lilac flowers, the petals of which in a circle are slightly similar to each other, thereby creating a deceptive impression of terry;
- flowering can continue year-round;
- height over 70 cm;
- leaves are rounded.
How to grow abutilon in a pot
A lot depends on the selection of the right pot for this flower, including its flowering, which, if not correctly selected, may simply not occur. He needs a small pot, because otherwise he will more actively develop the root system, and not the ground part. A vessel with a diameter of 12-14 cm is ideal for a young plant. Color is also important, but the pot should not be black. Otherwise, under the influence of sunlight, it simply overheats. One of the advantages of abutilone is its care. It will hardly be needed if all the conditions are properly arranged initially and maintained constantly.
The land for the development and reproduction of abutilon should be light and nutritious. A ready-made composition for flowering plants, sold in flower shops, is best suited. Also, the potted rope is very fond of feeding. It needs to be fed at least once a week. Watering is moderate, but regular, you must not allow the overdrying of the soil, be sure to put a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot to avoid stagnation of moisture.
Note! The Chinese lantern prefers well-lit places, the south side is also suitable, but it is better to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight to avoid burns.
How abutilon propagates
There are two ways to propagate a flower - seeds and cuttings. Both that, and another are very effective and effective. Before planting seeds, they must be germinated. Cotton pads will help in this. They need to be soaked with water and laid on the bottom of the container. Spread the seeds on top, cover the container with a lid and put in a warm place. As soon as the roots (4-8 days) appear, they need to be immediately planted in the soil. Seeds should not be put to great depths to properly root them, the top soil layer of 2-3 mm will be enough. You can start picking already when 2-3 real leaves appear. They are seated in temporary containers, as they grow, they are transplanted into larger pots.
Despite the fact that the seeds will sprout quickly and the young plant will bloom during the first year, the method of cuttings is much simpler and more effective. Its main advantages:
- when grafting, you can remain confident that the young plant will retain all the features of the parent hybrid;
- from planting the cuttings in the soil to the first flowering takes only 4-5 months.
Propagation by cuttings in water
Abutilon is very easy to propagate by cuttings; even an inexperienced grower will cope with this process. A shoot of 10-20 cm is cut off from an adult plant, not too powerful, but well developed. If there is any doubt about this, then you can just cut off the top, it will do. It should have 3 internodes.
Note! It is best not to plant it in the soil right away, but to germinate it in a plastic glass with well-maintained tap water at room temperature. Before lowering into water, the slice must be treated with an antiseptic, preferably of natural origin, for example, with ash.
The water level in the glass should be slightly higher than the third internode, but not lower than the first. Water does not change completely, but is only supplemented throughout the entire period. Roots are formed faster if the air temperature is no higher than 24 ° C, and the glass with the plant is covered with a plastic bag. Root germination will occur within two weeks.
Diseases, pests and possible problems when growing abutilon
Abutilone often lures pests for no apparent reason. The most popular are the following:
- whitefly is a butterfly whose larvae feed on the juice of plant leaves. You can find on the underside of the leaves, covered with a dark coating, and yellowing and falling buds. To eliminate the problem, you need to wash off the parasites from the leaves with a stream of water and treat them with a special tool from the store. Then repeat the operation until the problem is completely resolved;
- aphids suck juice from young leaves, contributes to their curling and wilting. It reproduces very quickly. If detected, you need to wash off the insects with a powerful stream of water and treat with an insecticide;
- spider mite forms a spider web on leaves and shoots. It multiplies rapidly in dry rooms. Heavily damaged shoots must be removed, the remaining ones must be processed.
The most common problems and diseases of a plant are as follows:
- powdery mildew forms a white coating on the upper side of the leaves, which gradually turns brown. May spread to the entire plant. Upon detection, it is necessary to urgently remove the damaged parts, treat the rest with sulfur or a baycheton;
- yellowing leaves of the flower, curling their edges indicates too high temperature, bright light and dry air. The way out is to rearrange the plant in partial shade and spray it regularly;
- wilting leaves indicates that the cable car is asking for water, its soil is too dry. With such a problem, the pot needs to be placed in a basin filled with water, and wait until all air bubbles come out from there.
If you want something bright, beautiful and unpretentious on your windowsill, then you should definitely buy abutilon. It will decorate the room with almost year-round flowering, moisturize the air and delight with its rapid growth and development. It is no coincidence that breeders at all ends of the earth are busy developing new varieties, this only speaks of increasing its popularity and a new entry into the world of flower fashion.
