Grow Roselle Hibiscus in the Florida Garden

Roselle is a name I’ve heard some southern gardeners mention, but I had no idea what it was. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange sells seeds, so I ordered a packet along with my recent seed purchases.

In late fall I planted the seeds in little pots. The Roselle seedlings looked good to begin with, but they eventually got bugs on the leaves. Growing things from seed throughout the winter months is not optimal. A few of these plants did survive, and they now reside in my yard. They are doing great!

Unfortunately for me, I have discovered that roselle is a large plant. My yard is fairly small, so I planted the seedlings in various spots. Roselle hibiscus likes heat, humidity and sunlight. It should do very well, but I may have to dig and re-plant for space.

After planting the seedlings this Spring, the Roselles are flowering and making the red bulbs now, in May! I have cut them off. I must find out what to do with them. I’m adding that info here, for anyone else who is new to growing it.

Video About Growing Roselle Hibiscus Plants

This video is wonderful. I think this woman lives in Arizona. I like the idea of growing anything that is heat-loving!

Learning About the Roselle Calyces

I’ve purchased hibiscus tea, which is red, and comes from this plant – I assume. It is different from a normal hibiscus, which you do not consume.

As soon as I saw my first Roselle flower, I thought of the okra I grew last year. The biggest difference is that roselle is pink and okra is off-white. Otherwise, the flowers are very similar. This year I have one Roselle planted next to a row of okra (which is growing from my saved seeds).

From everything I’ve seen, the red calyces are supposed to show up in Fall. Mine have begun to show up in April and May. Even Elyse, of The Urban Harvest, says that the flowers won’t show up until Fall… and she mentions drying the petals (?) to store and use the remainder of the year. The advice is part of this wonderful, and informative new video from The Urban Harvest and includes more veggies that can be planted in May here in Florida.

How to Use the Roselle Hibiscus For Food

I had no idea what to do with this collection of red pods. After watching a few videos, I came across this video that depicts three ways of using the calyces. (I’m still not exactly sure of the correct spelling – is it with a c or an x?)

Watch the video, which shows how to peel off the petals, rinse and preserve the edible parts. They can be frozen, dried, or cooked. I plan to eventually try all of these suggestions. But first, I used the petals (about 5 pieces) to make some tea!

The health benefits of drinking hibiscus tea are numerous. Or use it to make jam, and more. How to Use Roselle Hibiscus: 5 Tasty Recipes.

Growing Roselle Hibiscus

I’ve had very good luck growing the Roselle hibiscus. My seedlings were having issues, so maybe just plant the seeds right in the ground to begin with, or start them later in the season in pots.

Once the seedlings were in the ground, they took off. Shortly afterward, they began to flower. I’d never grown them before, but the flowering means the red pods are coming next.

It is not necessary to prune the plants to make them bush out. Mine are doing that on their own. I think the two shown below will need more space and I might have to re-plant.

If you live in Florida, look into growing this plant. It loves the heat and you can make tea from the flower pods (at the very least). Look up the health benefits of drinking hibiscus tea, or using this plant for health. I have found lots of pages online with information.

Please keep reading…