Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Redvein Abutilon bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Redvein Abutilon, Painted Abutilon, Red Vein Indian Mallow, Spotted Flowering Maple (Abutilon pictum).

More about redvein abutilon

About Redvein Abutilon

Abutilon pictum · also called Redvein Abutilon, Painted Abutilon · flowering

Originally from Brazil, Abutilon pictum (often listed under the synonym A. striatum) is a tender tropical shrub prized for its attractive orange, salmon, or peach bell-shaped flowers with conspicuous dark red veining, blooming freely over a long season. It is best grown in a frost-free conservatory or as a summer patio plant in the UK and northern US, requiring bright light to flower well. The key care requirement is warmth — temperatures below 5°C will damage or kill the plant. Abutilon is not listed on the ASPCA toxic plant database and is widely considered non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons redvein abutilon isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming redvein abutilon traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding redvein abutilon a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get redvein abutilon to flower

Maximise sun. Give redvein abutilon the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for redvein abutilon and get the feeding right with the redvein abutilon fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Redvein Abutilon flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full redvein abutilon care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Redvein Abutilon blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my redvein abutilon flower?

Redvein Abutilon blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make redvein abutilon bloom?

Give redvein abutilon the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does redvein abutilon normally bloom?