The Abutilon megapotamicum, known as the Trailing Abutilon, Brazilian Bell-flower or Chinese Lantern, is one of the most charming wall shrubs you can grow for a long, exotic display. A lax, arching, semi-evergreen shrub from Brazil, it carries slender stems hung with dainty pendent lanterns, each a rich red calyx opening to clear yellow petals and a tuft of protruding purple stamens. The flowers appear from early summer well into autumn and are magnets for bees, making it a standout in any exotic border or trained against a warm wall.This is a plant that rewards a little thought about position. Rated RHS H3, it is borderline hardy in the UK and happiest in mild, coastal and city gardens. Position matters here because it is a cold, wet winter, not simple cold, that does these plants in: waterlogged ground together with frost is what kills them, not a dry chill. Grow it against a warm, sheltered south or west facing wall with sharp drainage, or plant it in a pot that can be moved to a bright, frost-free place over winter, and it will sail through where a soggy, exposed plant would fail. See our hardy exotics seasonal guide for what to expect through the year.Water regularly through the first summer to settle the roots, then keep it on the drier side, especially in winter when soggy soil is the main risk. It is superb trained on wires as a flowering wall shrub, tumbling from a raised bed, or trailing over the edge of a large pot on a sunny patio. For pot culture see our plants for pots and containers, and its bee-friendly flowers make it a lovely addition to plants for pollinators. Its loose, arching habit also makes it useful for softening and clothing a fence or trellis among other screening plants.Part of our wider range of hardy exotic plants, every Abutilon we supply is nursery-grown, carefully selected for a healthy root system and packed with care to arrive in top condition, ready to bring months of colourful, exotic flower to a warm corner of your garden.
