Abutilon

AndWhyNot

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Jun 25, 2003, 12:50:57 PM6/25/03

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A disabled friend bought an Abutilon some years ago, as a tiny 'stick'
(his words) stuck it in a pot, ignored it and today it is the most
beautiful plant, about 5' tall in it's 20" ish pot with a nice thick
woody 'trunk'.

I have now also bought a 'stick' from the garden center for 75p. It
was yellow leaved, dry, limp and sad ....... apart from a few tiny
bits of healthy looking growth.

A month later I have watered and fed it, talked to it, and placed it
against our sunny SW facing wall .......... and now it's all healthy
looking, smiling, pleased to be with us, and flowering ............
but still only an 8" stick !!

Any suggestions to keep it going please !!! Winter time? Leave in the
pot? plant in the garden? Don't talk to it?

Thanks in advance ............

MHM

Elizabeth

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Jun 25, 2003, 2:43:50 PM6/25/03

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"AndWhyNot" <nos...@nowayhose.co.au> wrote in message
news:825d1d42bfbf9f8f...@free.teranews.com...

> A disabled friend bought an Abutilon some years ago, as a tiny 'stick'
> (his words) stuck it in a pot, ignored it and today it is the most
> beautiful plant, about 5' tall in it's 20" ish pot with a nice thick
> woody 'trunk'.
>

No disrespect intended at all, but I'm curious as to why you noted that your
friend was disabled in this post?

Elizabeth

Marcus

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Jun 25, 2003, 2:45:58 PM6/25/03

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Incoming P.C. attack ??

--
Regards
Marcus

Stewart Robert Hinsley

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Jun 25, 2003, 2:56:17 PM6/25/03

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In article <1fx4hd4.10le41ywczeqwN%00senetnos...@macunlimited.net
>, Jim W <00senetnos...@macunlimited.net> writes
>Depends which species it is.. Some such as those sold under the
>'Patioplants' label are pretty hardy. These are the red *and* yellow
>flowered ones. Sorry I cannot remember the species.
>Others prefer to be brought in for the winter and kept in a frost free
>environ. They grow pretty fast once establishd and are not that hard to
>propagate, so if you get the one you have going well you could take some
>cuttings and try some each way.

The "species" is _Abutilon x hybridum_. This is a group of hybrids of
which the principal parents are _A. striatum_ (= _A. pictum_) and _A.
darwinii_. _A. megapotamicum_ is also involved in the ancestry of some
cultivars, and Bean suggests the same of _A. insigne_.

In the United Kingdom these are usually grown as wall or conservatory
shrubs. Variegated varieties, e.g. _A. striatum_ 'Thompsonii', are also
used as a spot foliage plants in municipal bedding.

The hardier species are the blue-flowered _Corynabutilon vitifolium_ and
_C. ochsenii_, and their hybrid _C. x suntense_. I've seen this is an
unpromising location as a Northumbrian hillside (The Italian Garden at
NT Cragside).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley
http://www.meden.demon.co.uk/Malvaceae/Abutilon/gallery.html
http://www.meden.demon.co.uk/Malvaceae/Corynabutilon/gallery.html

AndWhyNot

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Jun 26, 2003, 4:20:44 AM6/26/03

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Mainly because he has not really got the ability (wheelchair bound) to
'look after' his plants as well as able bodied people ........... and
whether this 'neglect' was good for the Abutilon or not !

Carers don't always have the time or inclination to water/feed/check
the pots etc etc

AndWhyNot

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Jun 26, 2003, 4:48:54 AM6/26/03

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On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 18:56:26 +0100,
00senetnos...@macunlimited.net (Jim W) wrote:

>Depends which species it is.. Some such as those sold under the
>'Patioplants' label are pretty hardy. These are the red *and* yellow
>flowered ones. Sorry I cannot remember the species.
>Others prefer to be brought in for the winter and kept in a frost free
>environ. They grow pretty fast once establishd and are not that hard to
>propagate, so if you get the one you have going well you could take some
>cuttings and try some each way.

>//
>Jim

Thanks Jim and others ..........

Mine has yellow flowers (not yet open) and my friends is orangy red...

Stewart Robert Hinsley

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Jun 26, 2003, 2:08:51 PM6/26/03

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In article <1fx4rww.1uh4anc1n0k000N%00senetnos...@macunlimited.ne
t>, Jim W <00senetnos...@macunlimited.net> writes
>
>Far be it for me to dispute you or your refs. PatioPlant stills markets
>the plant in Q. as a straight A. megapoticum.
>
Sorry; I misinterpreted your use of the phrase "red *and* yellow";
PatioPlant markets 5 (anonymous?) varieties of _Abutilon x hybridum_
(white, pink, yellow, orange-red and red), as well as _A.
megapotamicum_, and I thought you were referring to the former.

The hardiness of the two groups is, as far as I know, comparable, though
I did once notice a free-standing _A. megapotamicum_ in a front garden
in Liverpool, on my way back from Calderstones Park (City of Liverpool
Botanic Garden).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley