Abutilon pictum or Red Vein Indian Mallow plant

Care of the shrub Abutilon pictum or Red Vein Indian Mallow

The genus Abutilon, of the Malvaceae family, it includes about 200 species of annual and perennial trees, shrubs and plants distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Some species are: Abutilon pictum, Abutilon grandifolium, Abutilon megapotamicus, Abutilon variegata, Abutilon hybridum, Abutilon vitifolium.

Common name: Red Vein Indian Mallow. It's distributed from Brazil to Guatemala.

It's a bush that has the appearance of a bramble with flexible branches that does not exceed 2 meters (6.56 feet) in height. The leaves are deciduous, large, jagged and deep green in color. The flowers are bell shaped and hanging, orange, yellow or red.

It should be placed in a light exposure (without direct sun) and sheltered from the wind. It does not resist winter cold. The temperature should not drop below 13 ºC (55.4 ºF). It is very rustic in places with a mild climate, Mediterranean type.

Due to the bright colors of its flowers, it stands out more, placing the plants in front of others with dark and shiny foliage.

This plant is undemanding with the type of soil. In a good substrate for houseplants it develops normally. The best time to transplant it is in late winter.

Irrigation will be frequent in summer and scarce in winter. Never puddle.

During the flowering period, fertilize every 15 days with a dissolved mineral fertilizer with irrigation.

They can be pruned in late winter to stimulate growth.

They do not usually present serious pest and disease problems if the drainage is appropriate.

Propagation is done by apical cuttings weeks before flowering takes place. Cut the terminal part of a 3-knot branch in early spring or late summer and plant it in a 50% mixture of peat and perlite.