Practical
Plants

Hibiscus heterophyllus

Native Rosella

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Malvaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.8 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. Pleasantly acid[1][4][5]. An excellent spinach substitute, the boiled leaves losing their acidity[5]. Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked[3]. A very mild flavour[1]. Root - it is edible but very fibrousy[1]. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour[1]. The roots of young plants are used[5].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Material uses

A tough fibre obtained from the stems is used for making nets etc[2][5].

Product or use
Fibre

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.
Habitat
Moist eucalyptus forests, jungle gullies and rainforest edges[1][5].
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

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If growing them as annuals, plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer and protect them with a frame or cloche until they are growing away well. If hoping to grow them as perennials, then it is better to grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year and to plant them out in early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Overwinter them in a warm greenhouse and plant out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

Prefers a well-drained humus rich fertile soil in full sun[6]. Suitable for waterside plantings[6]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it is unlikely to succeed outdoors even in the mildest areas of the country. However, it might be possible to grow it as a half-hardy annual, to flower in its first year from seed.

References

  1. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  2. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-00-216441-8

    ↩

  3. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  5. Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-207-14383-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  7. Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0730104001

Edit this page