Now this is most excellent advice! Perfect. Thanks Lynn.

Thank Ann. : )
I did this and found out that Abutilon is hardy in my zone 8. It goes semi dormant here.

Sometimes there is a little microclimate happening too. I had a few "Diamond Frost" Euphorbia that is considered an annual in zone 8,. I covered it this last winter and even though we had one of the coldest winters ever, one of them came back!
Lynn, do you do anything special for the newly rooted starts that are in the garden if the weather gets very cold?

Actually I don't do any newly rooted cuttings for the fall/winter garden. What ever starts I do I have to bring indoors for the winter. The young starts just wouldn't be tough enough to make it through winter.
My two Abutilon have made it through two winters, this will be their third winter. Before that I was wintering them indoors. I do put the pots on the covered deck, up against the house. I give then an occasion small drink of water through out the winter, not much though. As soon as the weather starts warming up they take off growing.
I would imagine a you could put them in a cold frame if your winters aren't to very cold.

Great tip I'm going to be brave this winter and leave some things that I have more then one of out and see what happens. The spring and fall greenhouse schlep is getting old as each year passes

Boy! Do I hear that Ginger! That's why this is such a great idea. How come we didn't think of it? Duuuuhhhhh

Can't speak for you, Ann, but for me it's a grey moment

Mine reason is that I'm losing my grey matter & I'm sticking with that.

It must be the loss of grey matter for me also. I stumbled upon this tip by accident. I forgot to bring the two large potted Abutilon indoors for the winter 2 years ago. Imagine my surprise when I went to clean the pot out to replant and found live stems.
I pruned it back and slowly started giving it water and set it where it would get morning sun. And this is what it did.


I wouldn't try it with an much loved/expensive plant without back up starts, but some times we learn wonderful things about the hardiness of our plants.

And it's beautiful Lynn! I'm glad you noticed those live stems.

I had already started pulling on it to get it out of the pot. I can tell you from personal experience that A. 'Bella Pink' is one tough plant.

We love 'em tough. The tougher the better!

This one made it through two winters and returned for the third spring. DH and friend killed it while painting the house.