Abutilon ‘Green-eyed Lady’ Live Plant – 2ft Tall, 6in Pot, Patio Tree

Overview

Introduce a touch of tropical elegance to your outdoor living space with the exquisite Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant. Known for its common names like Flowering Maple or Chinese Lantern, this stunning shrub is a true garden gem. The ‘Green-eyed Lady’ cultivar is particularly cherished for its unique and captivating blooms. Each flower is a vibrant, flaring red bell, perfectly contrasted by a distinctive green ‘eye’ at its center, creating an almost jewel-like appearance. This particular specimen arrives as a robust 2ft tall plant, ready to thrive in its 6in nursery pot. Ideal for bringing vertical interest and continuous color to patios, balconies, or garden beds, the Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant is a relatively low-maintenance yet high-impact addition for both novice and experienced gardeners. Its vigorous growth and abundant flowering ensure a long season of visual delight, making it a focal point wherever it’s placed.

The Abutilon genus encompasses a wide variety of species, but ‘Green-eyed Lady’ stands out with its specific coloration and form, making it a highly sought-after ornamental plant. As a deciduous or evergreen shrub depending on climate, it adapts well to various settings, providing lush foliage and continuous blooms throughout much of the year in warmer zones. Its upright growth habit naturally lends itself to being trained as a small patio tree plant, adding structure and charm to any container garden or landscape design. The sheer abundance of its bell-shaped flowers attracts hummingbirds and adds dynamic life to your garden.

Key Benefits

The Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant offers a multitude of benefits, making it an excellent choice for enhancing your outdoor environment:

• Stunning Visual Appeal: The primary allure of this plant lies in its unique and beautiful flowers. The bright red, bell-shaped blooms with their contrasting green centers create a striking display that is sure to capture attention and add a sophisticated pop of color to any garden or patio setting.
• Extended Bloom Season: Unlike many flowering plants that offer only a brief display, the ‘Green-eyed Lady’ Abutilon boasts an exceptionally long blooming period. In optimal conditions, it can flower continuously from spring through fall, providing months of vibrant color and interest.
• Versatile Garden Use: This plant is incredibly adaptable. Its upright growth habit makes it perfect for growing as a standalone specimen in a large container, where it can be shaped into an attractive patio tree plant. It also integrates beautifully into mixed borders, shrub beds, or as a vibrant hedge.
• Attracts Pollinators: The nectar-rich flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators, bringing lively activity and biodiversity to your garden space. Watching these creatures interact with the blooms is a delightful experience.
• Relatively Easy Care: Despite its exotic appearance, the ‘Green-eyed Lady’ Abutilon is surprisingly unfussy. With consistent watering and adequate sunlight, it thrives with minimal effort, making it suitable for gardeners of all skill levels looking for a beautiful yet manageable plant.
• Good for Container Gardening: Its manageable size and attractive form make it an ideal candidate for container planting. This allows for flexibility in placement, letting you move the plant to different areas of your patio or garden as desired, or even bringing it indoors during colder months in some regions.
• Unique Color Combination: The red and green coloration of the flowers is quite distinct and uncommon, offering a refreshing alternative to more traditional bloom colors. This unique feature ensures your garden stands out.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant is straightforward, ensuring a profusion of its beautiful red and green bell flowers. This plant thrives in a location that receives ample sunlight. Ideally, it prefers full sun to partial shade; aim for at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for the best flowering performance. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can help protect the foliage from scorching. When grown as a patio tree plant, ensure its container is placed in a bright spot.

Watering is crucial for a healthy Abutilon. Keep the soil consistently moist, but never waterlogged. During hot, dry periods, you may need to water daily, especially if it’s in a pot. Reduce watering in cooler months. A good way to check is to feel the top inch of soil; if it feels dry, it’s time to water. The ‘Green-eyed Lady’ prefers well-draining soil. A high-quality potting mix with good organic content is ideal for container-grown plants. For in-ground planting, amend heavy clay soils with compost to improve drainage.

This plant is generally hardy in USDA zones 9-11, where it can be grown outdoors year-round. In colder zones (like zone 8 or lower), it can be grown as an annual or brought indoors before the first frost. Fertilize every 2-4 weeks during the growing season (spring to fall) with a balanced liquid fertilizer to encourage continuous blooming. Pruning is beneficial to maintain shape, encourage bushier growth, and increase flower production. Lightly prune after a flush of blooms, and perform a more significant shaping prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Watch out for common pests like aphids and whiteflies, which can be managed with insecticidal soap. Providing adequate airflow and consistent care will help prevent most issues and keep your flowering Abutilon plant healthy.

Size & Details

The Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant you receive will be approximately 2ft tall from the base of the plant to the tip of its highest leaf or stem. It is securely rooted and shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a healthy start for its new home. This size makes it an excellent specimen for immediate display on a patio or for transplanting into a larger decorative container or directly into your garden. Abutilon ‘Green-eyed Lady’ is known for its moderate to fast growth rate, and with proper care, it can reach a mature height of 5-8 feet and a spread of 3-5 feet when grown in the ground or a sufficiently large container. Its upright, slightly spreading habit makes it a perfect candidate for shaping into an elegant patio tree plant. Expect continuous blooms throughout the warmer months, bringing consistent color and charm to your outdoor space. This plant is a mature specimen, ready to begin flowering shortly after arrival, offering instant gratification to any gardener.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant get? A: This particular plant arrives at approximately 2ft tall in a 6in pot. With proper care, it can mature to a height of 5-8 feet and a spread of 3-5 feet, especially when grown in the ground or a large container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in full sun to partial shade. In colder climates (below USDA Zone 9), it can be grown in containers and brought indoors during the winter months.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This flowering Abutilon plant prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal bloom production. In very hot climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent leaf scorch.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: Your ‘Green-eyed Lady’ Abutilon will arrive established in a 6-inch nursery pot, ready for planting or transplanting into a decorative container.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the red bell Abutilon is generally considered easy to care for. It requires consistent watering, good drainage, and adequate sunlight to flourish and produce abundant blooms.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: We take great care in packaging. Your Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant will arrive well-rooted, healthy, and ready to thrive in its new environment. Some minor leaf yellowing or soil displacement can occasionally occur during transit but the plant should recover quickly.
• Q: How often should I water my Abutilon? A: Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during warm weather. Check the top inch of soil; if it feels dry, it’s time to water. Reduce watering frequency during cooler periods.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The Abutilon Green-eyed Lady live plant is hardy in USDA Zones 9-11 for outdoor year-round growth. In colder zones, it should be protected from frost or brought indoors to overwinter.
• Q: What’s the best way to encourage more blooms from my flowering Abutilon plant? A: To encourage continuous blooming, ensure it receives plenty of sunlight, consistent moisture, and regular feeding with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Deadheading spent flowers can also promote new growth and more blooms.
• Q: Can I shape this Abutilon into a patio tree plant? A: Absolutely! Its natural upright growth habit makes it ideal for training as a patio tree plant. Regular pruning will help maintain its shape and encourage a strong, tree-like form. Consider a strong stake for support during its early growth.