Chinese Lantern Lucky Lantern Pink

Chinese Lantern 'Lucky Lantern Pink' (Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern Pink') is the dwarf flowering maple that stays where you put it. It holds at about 60cm tall and 50cm wide without pruning, and hangs soft pink bell shaped flowers along the stems for most of the year in a mild climate.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers almost continuously. In subtropical and warm temperate gardens the pink lanterns keep coming from spring through to late autumn, and often beyond.
• Compact without pruning. Unlike the older abutilons that sprawl to 2m, this one holds at roughly 60cm by 50cm on its own.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it suits a courtyard or a balcony where animals roam.
• Bees, butterflies and small birds. The nectar rich bells bring in pollinators, and honeyeaters work the flowers in warmer regions.
• Heat and humidity suit it. It keeps flowering through a muggy summer that stops many cottage garden plants.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 300mm pot suits one plant for years, and the long flowering makes it a feature rather than filler.

Borders, edging and mass planting. Plant 40cm apart along the front of a bed for a low ribbon of pink that does not flop over the path. A group of five or seven at that spacing reads as one drift of colour.

Growing Chinese Lantern 'Lucky Lantern Pink' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with afternoon shade in subtropical Queensland and northern New South Wales to stop the flowers bleaching. It takes light frost only, so in Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart use the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have, or grow it in a pot that moves under eaves for winter.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil with drainage. Work compost through the bed before planting and mulch 50mm deep, clear of the stem. In pots, a premium potting mix is all it asks.

Water and feed. Keep it evenly moist through the first summer, then water deeply once or twice a week in warm weather. It flowers heavily, so feed a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in mid summer.

Pruning. Trim the whole plant back by about a third in late winter to keep it dense, and pinch any stray shoot during the season.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock, and in 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are young plants that reach flowering size in a season and are the value choice for a border or a mass planting. The 140mm plants are already branched and usually carrying buds.

Some flower drop in transit is normal and new buds follow within a fortnight. Plant or pot within a week of arrival and water in well. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse more plants safe for pets.
• More bee and butterfly plants.
• Choosing edging plants covers spacing along a border.
• Compare options in plants for small gardens.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

40cm apart for a low mass planting or a border edge. At that spacing the plants touch without crowding.

Will it survive frost?

It takes light frost only. In cold inland and southern gardens grow it in a pot and shift it under cover for winter, or accept that a hard frost will knock it back and prune out the damage in late winter.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Abutilon is not toxic to cats or dogs, which is why it appears in our pet safe range. Chewing large amounts of any plant can still upset a stomach.