Overview

The Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant is a truly captivating addition to any garden, known for its prolific and stunning dark red, wax-like blooms. This particular cultivar, ‘Jerry’s Red Wax’, stands out with its rich color and elegant, pendulous flowers that resemble miniature lanterns. Often referred to as Flowering Maple due to its maple-like foliage, Abutilon is not a true maple but rather a member of the Mallow family. This robust and easy-to-grow shrub brings a touch of tropical beauty to temperate climates, making it a popular choice for gardeners seeking both visual appeal and low maintenance. Its vibrant red flowers are a beacon for pollinators, especially hummingbirds, making your garden a lively sanctuary.

Cultivating an Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant means inviting a continuous display of color from spring through fall, and even year-round in frost-free regions. Its moderate growth habit allows it to be used in various garden settings, from mixed borders to container planting. The plant ships as a young, healthy specimen, ready to establish itself and bring joy to its new home. Its adaptability and showy flowers make it a rewarding choice for both novice and experienced gardeners looking to enhance their outdoor living spaces with a touch of the extraordinary.

Key Benefits

The Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant offers a multitude of benefits that make it an exceptional choice for any garden. Its striking appearance and ease of care contribute to a delightful gardening experience.

• Attracts Hummingbirds: The large, dark red, bell-shaped flowers of the Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant are a magnet for hummingbirds, providing a vital nectar source and bringing dynamic activity to your garden.

• Long Blooming Season: Enjoy a continuous display of vibrant red flowers from spring through autumn, ensuring your garden remains colorful and attractive for an extended period.

• Easy to Grow: This shrub is known for its resilience and adaptability, thriving with minimal fuss once established, making it an excellent option for gardeners of all skill levels.

• Versatile Garden Use: Whether planted in garden beds, used as a focal point in containers, or integrated into mixed borders, its upright growth and showy blooms fit various landscaping designs.

• Vibrant Foliage: Beyond its stunning flowers, the maple-like leaves provide an attractive green backdrop, adding texture and interest to the plant even when not in bloom.

• Moderate Growth Rate: Reaches a manageable size quickly, allowing for a noticeable impact in the garden without becoming overly dominant, suitable for most garden spaces.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care for your Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant will ensure a thriving specimen with abundant blooms. Understanding its needs for light, water, and soil is crucial for its success in your garden. This plant generally prefers a location with full sun to partial shade. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade is beneficial to protect the foliage from scorching, while in cooler regions, more sun will encourage prolific flowering. Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth and bloom production. The plant is quite adaptable but performs best in well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. Avoid heavy, waterlogged soils, as these can lead to root rot. A slightly acidic to neutral pH is ideal.

Watering should be consistent, especially during dry spells and the active growing season. Keep the soil evenly moist but not saturated. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Reduce watering in winter, particularly if the plant experiences a dormant period. Fertilize your flowering abutilon shrub with a balanced liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks during the growing season (spring through fall). Pruning is essential for maintaining a desirable shape, promoting bushier growth, and encouraging more flowers. Light pruning can be done throughout the growing season, with a more substantial trim in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges. Deadheading spent blooms will also encourage continuous flowering.

This hummingbird attracting plant is generally hardy in USDA zones 9-11, where it can be grown as a perennial. In colder zones, it can be treated as an annual or brought indoors during winter as a potted plant. Protect it from hard frosts. Watch out for common pests like aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites, which can be managed with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Good air circulation also helps prevent fungal diseases. With these care tips, your red abutilon plant care routine will be straightforward, leading to a beautiful and vibrant plant.

Size & Details

The Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant typically ships as a well-rooted specimen, measuring approximately 1-2 feet tall from the base of the plant to the top. It is established in a 1-gallon nursery pot, providing a robust root system ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. This fast-growing shrub can reach a mature height of 6-10 feet and a width of 3-5 feet if left unpruned, though its size can be easily managed through regular pruning. The vigorous growth habit means it will quickly establish itself and begin producing its characteristic dark red, lantern-shaped flowers. Expected bloom time is from spring through fall, with continuous flowering in ideal conditions. The plant is shipped with care to ensure it arrives healthy and ready to thrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant typically grows 6-10 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide at maturity if not pruned. Its size can be easily managed with regular trimming to fit your garden space.

• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This plant is shipped in a 1-gallon nursery pot, providing a healthy root system ready for planting.

• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The flowering abutilon shrub is primarily an outdoor plant, hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. In colder climates, it can be grown in containers and brought indoors during winter.

• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: It thrives in full sun to partial shade. In regions with intense summer heat, providing some afternoon shade can prevent leaf scorch and ensure the best performance of this hummingbird attracting plant.

• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the Abutilon Jerry’s Red Wax live plant is considered easy to grow, making it suitable for gardeners of all experience levels. It requires consistent watering and occasional feeding.

• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your plant will arrive healthy and well-packaged, ready for planting. We take great care in ensuring its safe transit.

• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant is in spring after the last frost, allowing the plant ample time to establish before the heat of summer or the chill of winter.

• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This easy grow abutilon is winter hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. In colder zones, it should be protected from frost or brought indoors.

• Q: Does this plant attract pollinators? A: Absolutely! The vibrant red flowers are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, making it a great choice for a pollinator-friendly garden.

• Q: What kind of soil does it prefer? A: It prefers well-draining soil rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH is ideal for optimal growth and flowering.