This is my first year growing roselle hibiscus in the garden. It’s often referred to as jamaica or sorrel. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to grow and harvest. I grew up drinking agua de Jamaica but didn’t realize I could have my own plant in my backyard!
A little bit about Roselle hibiscus, it grows into a shrub and is a perennial in zones 9-10, and is grown as an annual in other zones. All parts of the plant are edible, including the leaves which are highly nutritious. Them stems are also used to make cords and carrying bags in some regions! It’s native to Africa and it’s a FULL sun loving plant. Perfect to grow here in the Central Valley where we have long summers and a long growing season.
Growing guide for roselle hibiscus
Roselle seeds are the fastest sprouting seeds I’ve come across. I was surprised to see them germinating two days after planting! Roselle needs to be planted outdoors once the soil has warmed up. (when you plant your tomatoes out is a good time). If you have a long growing season, direct sowing them will work out just fine. For folks in shorter growing seasons starting it indoors 4-6 weeks before planting it out will give you a head start to get a harvest before your first freeze.
Choosing a full sun spot in the garden for this heat lover will help your roselle thrive and have you harvesting in no time! Keep in mind that the plants get fairly large, choose a spot that is not going to shade out the rest of the garden. It’s important to keep well watered in soil that has good drainage. Went with an organic soil blend, layer of compost and fertilized with fish fertilizer a couple of times throughout the growing season. I didn’t really encounter any pest problems and was able to get two large harvests off one plant.
I grew my roselle hibiscus plant in one of my garden beds. If you’re in a smaller space and prefer to grow in in a pot choose one that is large enough to let the root system develop. A 15 gallon grow bag and pot will be sufficient.
Support and pruning
As I mentioned before this plant gets large quickly. It will need some support as the branches get top heavy. I used some dowels I had on had nothing fancy. I did have to prune off some of the branches that snaped with winds but overall this plant doesn’t require continual pruning.
How to harvest roselle hibiscus
The blooms on roselle plants are delicate and stunning! Although what we want to harvest is the calyx (what surrounds the seed pod) This can take up to a week to plump up and get a good size. Generally you will begin seeing flowers appear 3 months after planting but with a little patience in 6 months you will have enough to make something delicious! Some of the pods come off simply by twisting them off the plant, if you come across more fibrous branches it’s best to use clippers. Once you harvest the calyxes off the plant you want to process by removing them from the seed pods. Either let dry or use right away in your recipes!
How to use Roselle hibiscus
Growing Roselle hibiscus in your garden is such a treat! You can use the calyxes to make teas, jam, agua de jamaica and even cocktails. I have to admit my favorite way I used it this year was making jam! find the recipe here, the taste is tangy and sweet resembling cranberries. Growing Roselle hibiscus in my garden is a must from now on.
If you are hoping to grow hibiscus in the spring I encourage you to source some seeds. This is one of those plants that you are probably not going to find in the nursery come spring!
Happy planting!
-Tahiri
