Flowering Maple for Indoor and Outdoor Gardens

Add some color to your indoor and outdoor gardens with flowering maple.

Although not a relative of the maple, the common name was inspired by the maple shaped leaves. You may also see this plant referred to as Chinese bellflower or Chinese lantern, inspired by the downward facing flowers, or its botanical name Abutilon.

Hardy in zones 9 to 11, it’s often grown as an annual in colder climates or as a houseplant. Older varieties tend to flower in summer and fall but newer introductions can bloom nearly yearround.

Grow flowering maples outdoors in full to partial sun with moist well-drained soil. Place them in a bright location near a window when grown indoors.

Flowering maples are basically pest-free when grown outdoors but watch for aphids, scale, mites, mealybugs and whiteflies indoors.

A bit more information: Keep the soil slightly moist when growing this plant indoors. In winter, keep it in a cool bright location and allow the soil to go a bit drier.