How to Grow Hibiscus (a.k.a. Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa)
This article is part of our “How to Grow Herbs” series. If you would like to learn more about how to work with herbs after you harvest them, please refer to our Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™ here.
There are many different kinds of hibiscus that you might be familiar with as garden plants. The most memorable, perhaps, are the ornamental ones that make large, vibrant blooms reminiscent of tropical vacations. My parents had them planted in our garden when I was young and I find them so appealing and nostalgic. The hibiscus I am discussing today, though, is the Hibiscus sabdariffa species, which produces small, cream-colored flowers with red calyces that swell up into candy-like delicacies when pollinated.
It is these calyces that are harvested in the herbal tradition to make delicious, tart-flavored, bright red teas. In some parts of the world, this plant is called roselle and the tea is there called roselle tea. The herb is often paired with herbs like hawthorn and linden to create tasty herbal tea blends that can help support the health of the cardiovascular system.
Growth Habit
Hibiscus sabdariffa plants are typically grown as annuals in most parts of the world. If you live in a USDA growing zone 9 or higher, though, you can grow it as a perennial in your area. Height can vary based on growing conditions and whether you are growing it as an annual or a perennial. In my area, it tends to grow to be about 6 feet tall (sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the season), but in warmer places, it can reach 9 feet.
Spacing is variable. I have grown it experimentally with tighter spacing (12-18” between plants) with success, but if given much more room (36” between plants), the plants will fill out quite a bit more and can produce heavier yields. In ideal conditions, they can reach 6 feet in diameter.
Growing from Seed
For those of us who live in cooler places, the seeds are typically started in trays indoors around the same time we start tomato and basil seeds. For best results, scarify the seeds prior to sowing them by either scraping them with a bit of fine sandpaper to nick the seed coating or by pouring a little bit of freshly boiled water over them in a small, heat-safe bowl. I prefer to use sandpaper for this species, as it seems to contribute to better germination rates.
Cover the seeds with a layer of soil about as deep as the seeds are tall, then gently water them in. Place the tray under daylight-balanced lights in a warm area (or on a seed tray heating mat), and keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds come up.
Once the seedlings have a few sets of true leaves and your last frost date has passed, you can plant the seedlings out into the garden.
Ideal Conditions
This species of hibiscus seems to grow well in deep, well-amended soil that drains well but is watered regularly. As a relative of marshmallow and okra, the plants do have higher water requirements than some other garden plants do, but they do better when the soil drains well than in a place where the soil gets boggy.
Grow hibiscus in full sun. When planted in even partial sun / shade, the plants will stunt and will quickly bolt without yielding a usable harvest.
The Question of Varieties
I once heard a fellow herbalist-teacher say that there is a variety of this species of hibiscus that blooms much earlier than the species does. I tested this hypothesis one year by planting both the species plant and the alleged early-blooming variety in the same part of the garden and found that, at least in my area, both of them bloomed at exactly the same time. You could try experimenting with varieties that claim to be early-blooming in your area to compare results for yourself, but in my experience, I have not found such claims to be accurate.
Learning More
If you would like to learn more about how to work with herbs, particularly aromatic plants, I hope you will join me in our Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™ here at Floranella! In it, I teach students how to safely and effectively work with over 100 different herbs as well as their applicable essential oils and hydrosols from the garden to the still to the apothecary. I hope to see you in class one day!
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Erin! I am the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.
