PlantFiles: Flowering Maple, Chinese Bell Flower, Chinese Lantern
Abutilon 'Savitzii'

My son works at the Flower Exchange and bought one of these plants home to me this past spring because they were going to throw it out (was leftover after sale). It looked pretty sad, but now (October) it is almost five feet tall and has given me a really beautiful porch for the summer, all it took was a little water and plant food. A really easy plant to deal with, but because we're here in Boston, it's going to spend the winter in my bedroom after a little pruning!

This plant was small when I planted it, and now is four ft.
Has a nice thick trunk and strong limbs. I planted it next to the house on the east side where it was sheltered from cold winds off the ocean and strong hard rains.
We make a lean to for it in the winter if it gets to freezing temp. We have had it six years now, the snails love it so we have to keep snail bait around it. It's a beautiful flowerig shrub but takes a lot of care in the winter.

This is a very attractive plant in the garden. It has nice varigated leaves that get up to 8 inches across. The flowers "chinese laterns" are orange and are 3 inches long and across. Plant grows rapidly from small plants into small trees. Too cold in Western Washington to have much success growing outdoor year round. It is treated as an annual or if taken in will survive to be the garden highlight even bigger again the next. Likes full sun, moist rich soil. can be a magnet for whitefly, so watch and take corrective measures.

'Savitzii' is planted mostly for the pretty variegated leaves. Slow spreading growth. Very shy bloomer although flowers are large for the species. Will take pruning.