Common Name: Abutilon

General Information

Abutilon pictum is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 5 metres tall.
This species is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in warm temperate to tropical areas, the edible flowers are consumed locally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Habitat

Cultivated as an ornamental plant, it is not known in a truly wild situation.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental

Cultivation Details

Abutilon pictum is a plant of the warm temperate to subtropical zones, it is intolerant of temperatures that fall much below 0°c[]. Growing the plant against a sunny, sheltered wall, applying a deep mulch in winter and tying in growth to the wall will maximise protection in winter[]. 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[].
Requires a sunny position or part day shade in a fertile well-drained soil[]. Dislikes drought[].
A very ornamental plant, there are several named varieties[]. Several of the cultivars have golden-variegated leaves caused by a virus infection, this infection can spread to other plants[].
Tip-prune young plants to promote a bushy habit[]. 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[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Flowers - raw or cooked. A delicious sweet flavour[]. 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[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the open flower is drunk as a remedy for headaches[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse[]. 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, early summer in a frame[]. Grow on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[]. Grow on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.