Hibiscus Roselle - Starters

A beautiful addition to any garden and very easy to grow. All parts of this plant are edible and can also be used to make tea. Raw leaves are good in salads or cooked. Either way, it's super delicious, healthy and packed with nutrients. Gardeners everywhere are adding this wonderfully versatile plant to their growing palette. If you have never tried it, I hope this is your year. Roselle, sour tea, Jamaican hibiscus, and red zinger are all common names for Hibiscus sabdariffa. Lobed leaves, dark red petioles, and rosy flowers are just the beginning of its interest. The main reason most gardeners grow this plant is for the brilliantly colored teardrop-shaped calyxes that remain after flowering. These calyxes can be used to brew a wonderful herbal tea and in other areas of cooking. The red calyx is what is used to make tea. The calyx is steeped or boil (depending on the recipe) and sugar is added. Ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg are used in some areas to flavor the tea or agua fresca. But don’t just confine this beauty to the vegetable garden. It can be artfully mixed into all areas of your home landscape. Hardy zone 9 - 11.