Palmer's Indian Mallow, Abutilon palmeri

About Palmer's Indian Mallow (Abutilon palmeri) 49 Nurseries Carry This Plant

Add to My Plant List

Palmer's Abutilon (Abutilon palmeri) is a relatively rare species of the Malvaceae Family (mallows) native to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. It grows primarily on the eastern slopes of the Peninsular Range and the Western Sonora Desert, and in San Bernardino County in the low foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains (1080-3600 feet).

Flowers are cup-shaped, approximately one inch in size. They produce small fruits which are round, capsular, multi-parted and covered with silky fine hair similar to foliage. Branches and stems are also hairy, with a red-brown coloring to the twigs. Bark ranges from green to brown.

Palmer's Abutilon is tough and easy to grow. For best results, plant in rocky or sandy well-draining soil. It tolerates occasional light summer watering.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

3 - 8 ft tall
3 - 5 ft wide

Form

Rounded

Growth Rate

Fast

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

None, Slight

Flower Color

Orange, Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies (White Checkered-Skipper), other pollinators
Butterfly gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 8 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Common Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus communisPyrgus communis

Arizona Powdered Skipper Systasea zampaSystasea zampa

Mallow Scrub-hairstreak Strymon istapaStrymon istapa

Corn Earworm Moth Helicoverpa zeaHelicoverpa zea

Rufous-banded Crambid Moth Mimoschinia rufofascialisMimoschinia rufofascialis

Tobacco Budworm Moth Chloridea virescensChloridea virescens

Chalky Bird-dropping Moth Acontia cretataAcontia cretata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 49

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 25° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Dry rocky, well draining soil. Soil PH: 6 - 8

Common uses

Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants

Trees - Palo Verde (Parkinsonia spp.), Ironwood (Olneya tesota), Smoketree (Psorothamnus spinosus), California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)

Other plants - Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi), Desert Agave (Agave deserti), Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), Desert Scrub Oak (Quercus cornelius-mulleri), Yucca species, various cactus species

Maintenance

Deadhead if a neater appearance is desired. Tip prune to encourage more compact growth and flowering.

Propagation?

Seeds. For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry slopes and canyons of the Peninsular Range, often east-facing, in conjunction with desert transition chaparral and creosote bush scrub

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 4.2" - 19.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.23" - 2.02", Coldest Month: 46.7" - 55.1", Hottest Month: 70.6" - 83.5", Humidity: 1.68" - 34.62", Elevation: 38" - 4336"

Print Plant Sign Print Plant Label

Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Palmer's Indian Mallow

Abutilon palmeri

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Palmer's Indian MallowAbutilon palmeri

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Palmer's Indian Mallow

Abutilon palmeri