A favorite ornamental houseplant since Victorian timesand as a container plant, itflowers all year long. Abutiloncan be transplanted into the ground as an annual, be grown in pots just for oneseasonorbought inside, providing lovely flowers during the winter.Overwintered in a sunny spot indoors, it willbloom continuously with 2-inch bell-shaped flowersthat have a papery, delicate appearance, and nod downwardin between the deep green maple shaped leaves. Flowers come in shades of apricot to apricot orange, cream, and vanilla. The plants are well branchingand thisvariety is more compact, growing 16-20″ but willkeep growing into 2 -3 foot plus plants when placed in large containers. F1 hybrid

5 seeds

PLANTING

Abutilonx hybridum

Annual, Perennial zone 9 +

Germination: 14-25 days

Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 65-75F

Seed Planting Depth: Sow on the surface and lightly cover the seed, chipping or soaking seed overnight aids germination

Starting Indoors: Start indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost. Provide 65-75F soil temperature. Transplant apart after the last frost, 14-18 apart.

Sowing Outdoors: We do not recommend starting abutilon seeds outdoors

Growth Habit: Upright branching

Height and Width: 16-20″ x16-20″

Spacing: 14-18″ apart

Light Needs: Full sun to part sun

Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained

Approximate days to flower from seed: 80-90 days

Uses: Flower beds, containers, houseplant

Care: Water seedlings regularly until established. Amend soil with compost before transplanting. Deadhead to encourage more flower production. Prune back branches to create the shape you want, single stem or multibranched. Apply a liquid fertilizer every 3-4 weeks or use a time-release fertilizer at planting time. Overwinter container-grown plants for early spring blooms.