Chinese Lantern (Abutilon) is an excellent trailing plant for hanging baskets. Chinese Lantern have stunning foliage in the shape of maple leaves with green and yellow markings. Their unique red-and-yellow lantern-shaped blooms give the plant its name. Abutilon are evergreen perennials in zones 9-10 and can be grown as annuals everywhere else.

 

Chinese Lantern is a naturally big plant. The ideal way to grow a compact basket is to keep it in a cool house in the winter with a temperature of 45 F and bring it to the a warmer house in the spring to flower. This is a process called vernalization and allows you to grow a nice compact plant due to cold temps, which then blooms widely when placed in warmer temps in the spring.

 

Growing tips: 

 

Planting

We do not recommend Chinese Lantern for 4" pots as they would overgrow the pot too quickly. Plant 4-5 starter plants per 10"- 12"  basket, and plant them deep so the top of  the ellepot is slightly below the soil level in your container. 

 

Pinching

Pinching is recommended due to Chinese Lantern's natural size. Shape the plant by continuing to pinch it back each month. Allow 4 weeks from the last pinch for plants to produce blooms.

Pinching is not required on a natural season bloom schedule, but it will make a nicer, shorter, plant.

 

Spacing

If you are looking to grow a big basket, space your hanging baskets wider than normal. 3 foot spacing would be normal for a grower looking to produce an oversized basket. Normal spacing for a stockier plant would be 2 feet.