Monthly Tips

November - Plant of the Month

Abutilons - Flowering Maples

It's November and one plant in the garden makes me smile and shake my head every time I see it. This plant has been producing a steady stream of dangly yellow bells since mid-summer. Its maple-like leaves are pristine, the stems a smooth, glossy mahogany. The plant positively shines with vigor and good health here in the failing days of autumn. It is not some tough native; oh no, it is an abutilon, and it hails from the tropics.

Abutilons are native to all continents except Europe and Antartica; most come from South America. The genus consists of 150 species of deciduous or evergreen shrubs, small trees, perennials and annuals. Abutilons have maple-like leaves, pendant, bell-shaped flowers, often with delightfully tinted calyces and a boss of brightly colored stamens. (A calyx [singular of calyces] is the group of sepals that you see on the outside of a flower before it opens.)

[Abutilon in November]

Abutilon in November

So, what's the catch? Why don't you see these beauties everywhere? Well, they are only marginally hardy here. Most are Zone 9, a few, Zone 8 (Seattle's zone). So, if you decide to grow abutilons, know they risk death out in the garden during our winter. Of course, you can always grow them in pots and bring them in, to save them from a potential wintry demise. I've had mine in a sheltered part of my garden through 2 winters, and they've come through just fine. This year, I'll probably pile some leaves up around the base of the plants and hope that even if the tops gets killed off the roots may make it through. If they do die, I'll be out at the nursery come spring, looking for a replacement.

What else do you need to know? Abutilons like sun around here and well-draining soil. They'll want some supplemental water in the summer. Many of the abutilons get big, potentially reaching 6-10'. That may not happen here, but you need to be prepared. My two are quite open and topped out between 5' and 6' this year. One I cut back to a low framework in early spring; the other I didn't. Both did fine. Lastly, don't go looking for these now, wait until spring or early summer.

So, if you feel like taking a risk, consider adding a bit of tropical spice to your autumn. Buy an abutilon and maybe you too will find yourself out on a dreary day in November, smiling at some cheerful bells.

November - Tip of the Month

Thinking about fall

Go out in your garden and look around. How's it holding up? Many gardens start to look crummy this time of year, but a few still look great. What does yours need to continue to be pleasing? Do you want to keep the flowers going? They can still be had. Perhaps you long for brilliantly colored leaves or some cheerful berries would brighten your day.

Here are some plants that will fit in many urban yards that will liven up your autumn garden.

[Callicarpa]

Callicarpa

Flowers - Some flowers that are still in bloom include asters, tall sedums like 'Autumn Joy' and ornamental grasses. My Salvia 'Indigo Spires' has flopped over but is still blooming like mad. Of course, the abutilons are still at it. The hydrangea flowers that have dried on the shrubs have transmuted into new colors but still look great. Camellia sasanqua cultivars are just getting going.

Leaves - In my mind the small maples are the big winners in this category. Acer palmatum, the Japanese maple, has many, many cultivars. Acer griseum, the paperbark maple currently displays scarlet leaves. Crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia sp) usually color up well. Witch hazels are large, wide-spreading shrubs but the leaves turn yellow and orange, If these are too large, perhaps a fothergilla would work. The leaves and autumn color are similar to a witch hazel (same family) but the shrub is more in the 5-6' range rather than 12-15'. Where shrubs are concerned, few things beat out the burning bush (Euonymus alatus) for blazing red fall color.

Berries - The cotoneaster clan ranges from 12'+ (Cotoneaster lacteus) to 12" (Cotoneaster dammeri) and all provide red to orange berries. Pyracanthas (the aptly named firethorn) also provide a good berry display albeit in a stiff, ungainly plant. For something a little different consider the startingly purple berries of a Callicarpa (photo).

I could go on and on listing plants that have something special to offer in the fall, but at least it gives you a place to start. A garden's beauty doesn't have to end with summer.