Abutilon

Abutilon or Kanatnik (lat. Abutilon) — a genus of evergreen annual and perennial herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, and sometimes small trees of the family Malvaceae (Malvaceae), which includes more than 100 species (in some sources more than 400 species are indicated). Species of this genus occur in tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres, sometimes reaching temperate regions.

Abutilon megapotamicum

About 10 species of kanatnik originating from South America, mainly from Brazil, are cultivated as ornamentals. Some species are used to obtain plant fiber. Many cultivars and hybrids are grown by flower growers as houseplants with various flower colors and with solid-colored or variegated leaves. The ornamental varieties cultivated by gardeners are known under the collective name "house maple".

Plants are spreading and branch readily. When in bloom each shoot is densely covered with flowers and buds. Abutilon is a fast-growing plant, and when planted in the ground it reaches 1.5 m in height and up to 1 m in diameter. So if you need a plant that will quickly spread and fill a room, you will hardly find a better one than Abutilon. When kept in a warm room in winter, at temperatures above 15 °C, the plant may lose leaves if the air is too dry.

Abutilon striatum

Variegated forms of Abutilon are propagated only by cuttings. When propagating Abutilon by cuttings, they are taken at the end of February - beginning of March. Cuttings root better with soil heating in a substrate consisting of a mixture of leaf mould and sand; cuttings are covered with a bag.

Some decorative species popular in houseplant cultivation:

• Abutilon darwinii — Abutilon darwinii
• Abutilon hybridum — Abutilon hybridum
• Abutilon megapotamicum — Abutilon megapotamicum, an ampelous (trailing) plant known as the "weeping Chinese lantern".
• Abutilon sellowianum — Abutilon sellowianum
• Abutilon striatum — Abutilon striatum, variegated dark-green leaves and flowers with orange or red coloration.

Abutilon hybridum

Temperature: Prefers a cool room. In winter 10-13 °C, maximum 15 °C.

Light: Light-loving; prefers direct sunlight for several hours a day. In winter it needs a bright room. The best place is close to a south-facing window.

Watering: Abundant from spring to autumn. Moderate in winter.

Fertilizer: From April to August feed with special mineral fertilizers for flowering houseplants every 3 weeks. You can use "Raduga", "Ideal", etc. Organic fertilizer should not be applied more than once during the summer.

Air humidity: Periodic spraying is beneficial.

Repotting: Soil — 1 part turf, 1 part leaf mould, 1 part peat soil, 1 part humus, 1 part sand. Pinching and pruning are used to encourage branching. A roomy pot is preferable, but for abundant flowering the root ball should be well filled with roots. In spring the plant is shortened and repotted into fresh soil. During the summer it is re-potted by shifting twice. It is best to plant Abutilon outdoors for the summer. Pruning is performed to improve flowering.

Propagation: Easily propagated by seeds, which germinate in about three weeks. Plants bloom as early as five months after sowing. For sowing a light sandy soil is needed. Seeds are covered with a layer of soil a few millimeters thick. Hardened seedlings are pricked out into pots. It is also easily propagated by cuttings.

Abutilon darwinii