Tropical Lantern Blooms for Pollinators and Garden Color

Flowering Maple also known as Red Vein Indian Mallow or Chinese Lantern, is a fast-growing flowering shrub prized for its delicate, bell-shaped blooms and deeply veined maple-like leaves. Though it’s not a true maple, its name comes from the foliage’s resemblance to maple trees—combined with its profusion of vibrant flowers that hang like lanterns, swaying gently with every breeze. Native to Brazil, it is from the hibiscus and okra family of plants.  Flowers are edible and have a light, sweet flavor.  They can be eaten raw or cooked. 

This evergreen beauty produces a steady stream of nectar-rich blossoms in warm months, typically orange, coral, or peach with crimson veins, and is a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Flowering Maple thrives in warm climates, making it a favorite for tropical gardens, pollinator patches, and container growers in USDA Zones 8–11.

A fast grower with an upright, bushy habit, Flowering Maple can be shaped into a small tree, patio plant, or soft-textured hedge, and it blooms nearly year-round in frost-free areas. In cooler climates, it performs beautifully as a container plant that can be overwintered indoors.