Hibiscus acetosella
False Roselle
an annual or perennial member of the Hibiscus genus in the family Malvaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used in soups, stews etc[2]. They can be cooked with other foods to give them an acid sorrel-like flavour[2]. Root - it is edible but is very fibrousy[1]. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour[1].
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- E. and C. Africa.
- Habitat
- Not known
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 10+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination is usually quite rapid. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Give them some protection until they are growing away well. A sowing outdoors in situ during April might work, though if the summer is cool the plants might not flower and set seed.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a well-drained humus rich fertile soil in full sun[3]. A frost-tender plant but it can be grown as an annual in temperate zones[3].
References
Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5