Originating in tropical to warm temperate areas, particularly South America, where it grows in lightly wooded terrain, this is a tender plant related to the mallows. The genus is made up of about 150 shrubs, perennials, and annuals, which are grown for their bell-shaped, drooping flowers and maplelike leaves on long stalks.
This form has attractive
green-and-yellow mottled leaves 3-5in/8-13cm long and with three to five lobes.
Its red- and orange-veined flowers are 2-3in/5-8cm long and open from spring to
fall. In the wild, the plant will grow into a large shrub, but as an indoor pot
plant, it is best kept to 2-4ft/60cm-1.2m. Abutilons are long-lasting and
therefore useful as semipermanent feature plants. And since they need plenty of
direct sunlight, they do particularly well in front of a window.
All abutilons
respond well to pruning, and you should not be afraid to use the shears when a
plant grows beyond its allocated space. Cut back spindly growth in early
spring; remove any thin shoots that crowd the center of the plant and reduce
others by a third.
FACT FILE
ORIGIN Brazil.
HEIGHT To 7-10ft/2.1-3m.
POTTING MIX Soil-based.
REPOTTING Move plants into a pot one
size larger each spring, until a 9-in/23-cm pot is reached. Top-dress large
plants annually.
PROPAGATION Take 4-in/10-cm tip
cuttings in spring and summer and root in equal parts of sand and peat at a
temperature of 75°F/24°C.
KEEPING PLANTS Deadhead regularly
during th summer. Pinch out growing tips occasionally to maintain bushy growth.
Abutilon x hybridum is the name given to a group of hybrids that are
generally available from garden centers and stores. Look for A. x h. ‘Savitzii,’ with
the palest of green leaves, ‘Cannington Red,’ with golden yellow foliage and
striking rose red blooms. ‘Pink Lady’ has bright pink flowers with deeper pink
veins, and ‘Kentish Belle’ bears vibrant orange flowers.
PLANT CARE
Direct sunlight, which will enhance
the leaf variegation. • Winter temperature of 45”-55°F/7°-13°C; the plant may
lose some or all of its leaves during this dormant period. • Little water in
winter; water freely in summer.
• Apply a weak liquid fertilizer
every 2 weeks from early spring to late summer. • Large plants can be
top-heavy, so make sure containers are large enough to prevent them from
falling over.
ACALYPHA HISPIDA
Euphorbiaceae
RED-HOT CAT’S-TAIL
Guaranteed to be a conversation
piece, this exotic plant is one of a few species in the genus to produce
conspicuous taillike flowers. The tiny, bright red blooms, which emerge from
the leaf axils, usually in late summer and fall, can reach 12-18in/30-46cm in
length. They droop in tassels, without petals, and resemble lengths of
chenille, hence the plant’s other common name of chenille plant. The bright
green, slightly hairy, pointed oval leaves are 5-8in/13-20cm long and 3in/8cm
wide. Acalypha hispida ‘Alba’ is an attractive white-flowered form.
The plant will form a shrub
6ft/1.8m tall if allowed to grow unchecked; even if it is kept to just half
this size, you should give it plenty of space. Acalyphas require a high level
of humidity.
Dull green leaves with tiny brown spots are the first signs of red
spider mites. Keep the atmosphere moist to discourage that pest.
Watch out for mealybug infestation. If you spot the cottonlike
coating, pick off the bugs and spray the nest areas with insecticide.
Flowers may appear throughout the year, given the right conditions.
FACT FILE
ORIGIN Java; Papua
New Guinea. HEIGHT To 6ft/1.8m.
POTTING MIX
Soil-based.
REPOTTING Cut back
in early spring to 10in/25cm above a leaf and repot into a pot one size larger.
PROPAGATION Take
3-4-in/8-10-cm stem cuttings in spring and establish them in equal parts of
sand and peat moss at 75°F/24°C. KEEPING PLANTS Acalypha is naturally bushy, so
there is no need to pinch out the growing tips. Prune it back annually or renew
it each year from cuttings, which take readily, and discard the old plant.
Plants are rarely worth keeping after 2 years.
PLANT CARE
Bright filtered
sunlight. • Temperature range of 65°-85°F/18°-29°C . • Plenty of water in
summer; less in winter. 9 Stand the pot on a
tray of damp pebbles and mist the foliage regularly except when the plant is in
flower. # Apply a weak liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks from early spring to
late summer.
Acalypha
wilkesiana
Euphorbiaceae
COPPER LEAF
This plant is grown chiefly for its
highly colored leaves, which vary enormously and come in tints of coppery
green, mottled and streaked with purple, red, and copper, giving it its
best-known common name. Other names include match-me-if-you-can, beefsteak
plant, fire dragon plant, and Jacob’s coat. Varieties include ‘Can Can,’ with
mainly magenta, mauve, and cream leaves, and ‘Marginata,’ with heart- shaped
olive green leaves tinged with bronze and edged with carmine.
Like Acalypha hispida, this
plant can reach 6ft/1.8m. The leaves are about 5in/13cm long and 2in/5cm wide.
FACT FILE
ORIGIN Java; Papua New Guinea.
HEIGHT To 6ft/1.8m.
POTTING MIX Soil-based.
REPOTTING In late spring, or at any
other time if growth has been rapid, move plants into pots one size larger when
roots fill the pots. PROPAGATION In early spring plant 3-4-in/8-10-cm tip or
stem cuttings in equal parts of sand and peat moss. Keep at 75°F/24°C. KEEPING
PLANTS Do not pinch out the growing tips, since this plant is naturally bushy.
Discard messy plants after 2 seasons.
PLANT CARE
Bright filtered light to retain leaf
color. • Minimum winter temperature of 60°F/16°C; up to 80°F/27°C in summer. •
Plenty of water at all times, particularly in summer when the soil dries out more
quickly. • High humidity: stand the plant on a tray of damp pebbles and mist
the foliage regularly. • Apply a standard liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks
during the active growing period.
Check for mealybugs
and red spider mites, both of which attack acalyphas.
Reduce the plant’s
size by half each spring to encourage plenty of new stems and highly colored
leaves.
Keep the soil moist
at all times, but plants will wilt if the soil becomes sodden.
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