Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Abutilon
Species: A. pictum
Binomial name: Abutilon pictum
Synonym: A. striatum
Common names: The Flowering Maple, Abutilon
Abutilon pictum is a member of the Malvaceae family (mallow family). It is a native to Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This shrub will grow to 5 m tall, with leaves 5–15 cm long, three to five- (rarely seven-) lobed. The flowers are yellow to red, with five petals 2–4 cm long and will flower year round.
This plant is often compared to its cousin, the Hibiscus, but surpasses it in consistency of growth.
There are many other varieties of the Abutilon that have been cultivated for different shapes and colours, but most gardeners discover that none measure up to the original.
Another colour form of Abutilon pictum