Abutilon megapotamicum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

Trailing Abutilon (Brazilian Bell-flower)

Abutilon megapotamicum

Name: Abutilon megapotamicum
Brand: GROW TROPICALS
SKU: ABUTMEGA9
Price: 8.99 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

£8.99

Protect from hard frostSun-lovingRHS award winnerLoved by pollinators

Pot size

9cm / 0.5L £8.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

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.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

Best quality plants guaranteed

7 day live arrival guarantee

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How to care for Trailing Abutilon (Brazilian Bell-flower)

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.

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About Trailing Abutilon (Brazilian Bell-flower)

Abutilon megapotamicum needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Screening & Privacy Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H3 · Semi-hardy · down to around −5°C

RHS H3, tolerating roughly -5C in mild gardens; shelter it from cold, sodden winters.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingSheltered

full sun for the best flowering, in a sheltered spot against a warm, sunny wall.

Soil

LoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH

fertile, free-draining loam or sand, acid to neutral, with drainage the single most important factor.

Watering

Water regularly through the first summer to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged. Once established it is fairly drought-tolerant and prefers to run on the drier side in winter. Feed potted plants through the growing season to fuel the long succession of flowers. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first summer to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged. Once established it is fairly drought-tolerant and prefers to run on the drier side in winter. Feed potted plants through the growing season to fuel the long succession of flowers.

Mature size

Height2-2.5 m

Spread1.5-2 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Trailing

Flowering

JFMAMJJASOND

Jun-Oct · Red, Yellow

Seasonal colour

SpringSummerAutumnWinterFlowerFoliageBerriesStem

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Best grown against a wall on wires or trellis. In early spring, shorten flowered and wayward shoots back to the main framework and tie in new growth.

Toxicity

Not known to be toxic to people or pets and no serious pests or diseases; as with any garden plant, wear gloves if you have sensitive skin.

Native range

Brazil

Family

Malvaceae

Also known as

Abutilon megapotamicum

Genus

Abutilon

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Abutilon megapotamicum hardy in the UK?

Yes, but with a little care. It is rated RHS H3, so it is only borderline hardy and happiest in mild, coastal or city gardens. The main risk is cold combined with wet rather than cold alone: waterlogged winter soil is far more damaging than a dry frost. Grow it against a warm, sheltered wall with sharp drainage, or in a pot you can move under cover over winter. See our hardy exotics seasonal guide for what to expect through the year.

Where is the best place to plant a Trailing Abutilon?

Give it the warmest, sunniest and most sheltered spot you have, ideally against a south or west facing wall that stores heat. It needs free-draining soil and hates sitting wet, so improve drainage on heavy ground. It also grows beautifully in a container, so browse our plants for pots and containers for inspiration.

When does Abutilon megapotamicum flower?

It has a wonderfully long season, producing its red and yellow lantern flowers from early summer right through into autumn, roughly June to October. In a warm, sheltered spot the display can carry on even longer, and the flowers are a reliable draw for bees.

How do I overwinter Abutilon megapotamicum?

The key is to keep it on the dry side and out of cold, wet ground over winter. Plants in the open ground do best against a warm wall with a deep, dry mulch over the roots. Potted plants are easiest of all: simply move them to a bright, frost-free place such as a porch, cold greenhouse or conservatory until spring.

Is Abutilon megapotamicum good for bees and pollinators?

Very much so. The dainty pendent lanterns are rich in nectar and are a magnet for bees through summer and autumn, making it a lovely choice for a wildlife garden. Pair it with more of our plants for pollinators for a busy, bee-friendly border.

How big does Abutilon megapotamicum grow?

Left to grow it reaches around 2 to 2.5 metres in both height and spread over several years, though its lax, arching stems are easily trained and pruned to fit. This makes it ideal for clothing a warm wall, trellis or fence alongside other screening plants.

Does my plant come with a pot?

Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.

How big will my plant be when it arrives?

Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.

What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?

There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.

What should I do when my plant arrives?

First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.

Will my plant survive being shipped?

Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.

Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Abutilon megapotamicum

£8.99