Hibiscus (Roselle)~ Hibiscus sabdariffa

I tried an experiment this year to see if I could grow my own Hibiscus for use in our hand made teas, one we call Sereni-Tea.  I normally purchase it from Mountain Rose Herbs but am always looking for ways to grow our own in our own soil.

This plant is also called a Roselle.  It originated in tropical areas and is also used for the fibers (rosella hemp) that the plant produces.  It is a member of the Malvaceae family which includes all kinds of mallows.  Okra, Cotton, and Cocoa are part of this family.

It is a misnomer that the hibiscus used in tea comes from the flowers.  It is actually the calyx that  surrounds the seed pod that is dried for tea. However the flowers, plant, root, and seeds can be eaten. It takes 11 pounds of fresh caylx to make 1 pound of dried Hibiscus.  The good thing is, one pound is a whole lot.

Roselle requires sunshine and lots of water to grow well. It can be grown as a summer crop in temperate regions.....like ours here in Tennessee.

Way back this spring I planted seeds, yesterday I was able to harvest some seed pods.  The  Roselle plant gets quite big........This is one plant, it's as big as a medium sized bush.

The seed pods ripen from the ground up.  This is because the plant flowers, continues to grow, and flowers on new growth.

This is a close up of the stems with the seed pods.   

Here is a close up of a seed pod that is surrounded by the calyx. They are a lovely burgundy, red color.

At this point they can be cut or picked from the plant and the caylx pulled from the seed pod.  I Pulled them and broke them up in strips......whatever your preference as far as size.  Place them on a tray and allow to

 dry completely before storing.

Here is a calyx/seed pod that I was pulling the calyx from.

This is the tray with the Roselle spread out to dry.







 

If you live in a temperate zone, this is not too hard so go ahead and give it a try.  If you have grown Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and have any more ideas or thoughts let me know.

Next post will be about using hibiscus in tea blends.