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homernoy

Abutilons

homernoy
15 years ago

I was wondering if anyone has had good luck with Abutilons surviving after that nasty winter. So far I have about five species that were defoliated, but are now sprouting leaves and flower buds. I am always on the lookout for Abutilons that do exceptionally well, and if anyone has one, please let me know. Also, I am going to strike some cuttings this year of at least two of my Abutilons (Abutilon 'Huntington Pink' and 'Red') this summer, so I will be sharing them with anyone interested giving them a go.

Comments (25)

  • PRO
    George Three LLC
    15 years ago

    answer: not much luck.

    i had a white parasol and a louis sasson growing. both of which were only a year or two old. both of which i protected with a tomato cage and a moving blanket.

    no buds so far...

    the white parasol i just planted in october and looks worse. just a single black stem.

  • homernoy
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Have you scratched the bark to see if the plants are still alive? The black stem doesn't sound too good, but the louis might be ok. Good luck, and thank's for the response.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    15 years ago

    There was an NPA member whose Snohomish area garden was regularly on the open garden tours who grew a lot of different abutilons, mostly 'hardy' varieties. Haven't been in a couple of years to see how well they were fairing with our recent not-so-great winters. I used to grow A. megapotamicum but it bit the dust a couple of seasons ago and I haven't replaced it. I think most of these are just a bit too marginal for long term success in this area.

    I picked up the hybrid A. 'Smoked Salmon' at a recent plant sale for a future mixed container planting, but it's been indoors ever since - too cold at night. The grower indicated it was a zone 8 plant, but Xera Plants label it a zone 9 and I'd prefer to be on the safe side :-) I'll overwinter indoors next winter, too.

  • homernoy
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I have Abutilon 'red', megapotamicum, 'Huntington Pink', and a pink hybrid that has large pink flowers that look like Hibiscus (closely related) with a few hybrids that I don't know the parentage. All of them lost leaves but all survived. If you find another megapotamicum you might want to give it another go, mine is in a poor site in clayish soil and half shaded by a Climatis vine, and it still retained some leaves through this winter.

    After it warms up, I will be able to see exactly how well each does, and I will post pics here if I remember. If you see any you might want to try just let me know, and I will try to get a start to you.

  • silvercreek
    15 years ago

    I have a.'red tiger',it came back really late last year and didnt flower.I did the scratch test and the stem was green,so hopefuly it will make it.I also took sevral cuttings and put them in different spots, maybe one will flower this year.

  • PRO
    George Three LLC
    15 years ago

    homernoy,

    yea, the louis sasson should be OK. lots of dead material, but the central leader looks green by scratch test.

    i like abutilons enough that a constant cycle of death and buying new ones doesn't bug me too much.

  • pepperdude
    15 years ago

    I think there's a good chance that any abutilons that had their tops frozen off may come back from the ground - either stem at or just below soil level or from the roots I'm not sure.
    About 15-20 years ago I had a nameless tall (~4-5'), white abutilon in Renton. I haven't seen it in nurseries lately but it was a great plant. It used to die back to the ground in winters with lows below 15-20F but like other abutilons it was a fast grower and even if not top-hardy it was a valuable late season "shrub".
    I'd give it some more time before deciding which are dead and which aren't.
    I would be very interested in more info on who had abutilon survivors and what you estimate your winter lows were.

  • muddydogs
    15 years ago

    Abutilon suntense 'Violetta' has grown into a 6 ft evergreen tree. Nice tree form after I prune it up. Will root layer low branches before I cut them off. My draceanas are all dead along with old red penstemmons and Amy Hebe's. Maybe I was just lucky to have this awesome blue bloomer survive.

  • flora2
    15 years ago

    Homernoy: I would love to try your cuttings in my garden. I do love abutilons and I grow them in pots and so much wish I could plant them in the garden instead. If I ever get any of your cuttings I would force myself to put it in the garden "for research purposes" Thanks

  • homernoy
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Flora, I will post when I get successful cutting of my Abutilons this summer. I will also post pics of some when they are in bloom

  • flora2
    15 years ago

    Homernoy: Thanks a lot.

  • snakemanjim
    14 years ago

    I planted a "red tiger" & a "nabob" last year. The red tiger grew quite well but never even hinted at blooming. The nabob bloomed non-stop until mid-December. Both were quickly killed to the ground in that arctic blast. Neither have reappeared from the ground yet.

  • CathyJ
    14 years ago

    Sadly, Abutilon suntense 'Violetta' and Abutilon vitifolium are the only ones I have found to be reliably hardy. I have grown (repeatedly) over a dozen types over the past 15 years or so and, with the exception of the above, have found that they all eventually bite the dust.
    Otherwise, the megapotamicums seem to be the most hardy for me.
    Cathy
    Olympia

  • fengshui05
    14 years ago

    Hi Cathy,
    That true but there is another wild species which is frost hardy like A. vitifolium - it's A. ochsenii.
    I have found it in an new ebook for Abutilon and have already bought a plant of it. It has green not greyish leaves and seems to be oe parent of the xsuntense.

    Certain Megapotamicums are hardy down to -4°C and can withstand some snow (but not all).

  • silvercreek
    14 years ago

    my 'red tiger' made it through,Ive got 1 inch pokeing out of the ground.Hopefully it will flower this year,it looks super cool when in bloom.

  • PRO
    George Three LLC
    14 years ago

    louis sasson still has some scratch test green- but only at the very base of the trunk.

    no signs of springing to life though... yet...

  • hallerlake
    14 years ago

    A few years ago I had an abutilon with deep, shiny red petals. They looked like they'd been lacquered. Would anyone know which one that was?

  • Patrick888
    14 years ago

    I was checking out an A. megapotamicum at the McLendon's in Renton yesterday. It was on a cart of newly received plants. They had a handful of different ones on a shelf, which had been there awhile already. I think they were about $9 per 1-gal. pot. I was happy to see they were doing a better job of keeping their plants watered than their big box store competitors.

  • cascadians
    14 years ago

    Mine managed to come back until now. Dead dead dead. The snow and ice done did them in. Won't be planting anything again that dies, unless it's in containers for annual color fun.

    Has taken months to clean up the damage from Dec-Jan.

  • weed_tree
    14 years ago

    I bought "Ginger Bomb" at Swanson's Nursery in 2007. It spent the first winter in my garage, but this winter I left it outside, in an insulated styrofoam-type container, on a windy east deck. I gave up covering/uncovering it in January. True to the nursery tag, it died back to the roots, but sprouted about a month ago and is now a foot tall and growing fast with lots of big green leaves. Too bad its flowers (lots!) turned out to be such a dull, washed-out color last year. And the nectar attracted ants that made little forays inside all summer, looking for more abutilons, I guess. Now I know why they called it Ginger "Bomb." It will go in the ground this year, someplace where I can't see its ugly flowers or ants. Can anyone recommend a hardy-ish yellow-flowered cultivar?

  • fengshui05
    14 years ago

    Hi,

    @hallerlake - maybe that was a Nabob.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Abupage

  • hallerlake
    14 years ago

    Thanks Fengshui05, but I've decided it was Voodoo. I remember it having a vaguely sinister name.

  • fengshui05
    14 years ago

    hi,

    @ Voodoo is a great variety. Have you ever grown Abutilon from MBN.

  • CathyJ
    14 years ago

    Fengshui05,

    That's a new one for me, I'll have to keep my eyes open and see if I can find one.

    Thanks!

    Cathy

  • jxa44
    11 years ago

    Hello everyone, i'm joining this thread very late. but i've recently been bitten by the abutilon bug -- i want 'red tiger' and 'vesuvius'. can anyone give me the name of a good online nursery that sells abutilons?

    thanking you all in advance.

    joyce

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