Find Your Ask the Expert: plant identification
Hi. I purchased a plant a few years back at a flea market. The proprietor told me it was a sugar maple plant. The leaves grow on forked branches and overlap. I am forever pulling leaves off. It flowers with upside down orang/red “pods” that have a stamen (??) hanging out. I would like to prune it to shape it better but I am not sure how. Pinching back just causes more forked growth and the plants looks crowded. When I google it I get entries for trees. This is more like a miniture bush. Can you help? sandras
Reply:
The only sugar maple I know of is a tree. So, that is why when you search for sugar maple all of your results will be for a tree. However, common names are often confused as they are passed along. So the original owner probably mis-communicated the name of the plant.
With plant identification it helps to have a picture. Since you didn’t send one, I have included a few to help with the identification. Do any of these look like what you have?
Abutilon Pictum - Flowering Maple
The first picture is a Abutilon pictum (Flowering maple, Indian Mallow). (Photo is from © 2006 Luigi Rignanese). If this is your plant you can trim as necessary. You can give a good pruning in the mid or late spring.
There are several different kinds of Abutilon. The flowers and leaf color will all be a little different but the general shape and leaf structure will be the same.
Ricinus Communis - Caster Bean
The second picture is a Ricinus Communis or Caster Bean. (picture is from MissouriPlants.com). This can also be pruned as need. It is generally pruned once a year in mid to late spring.
Just a little side note: This plant is poisonous.
If neither of these plants looks like yours, please send me a picture. Then I give it another shot.
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