Roselle is a fantastic plant that not only looks great in your garden but also produces delicious cranberry flavored calyces that have many uses. This garden guide will explain the entire process of growing Roselle from seed, ideal growing conditions, and how to harvest the calyces.
Find the video version of this guide on my YouTube channel. This garden guide is one of many that can be found on my channel, where I share my knowledge about growing food and edible plants. So if you want to further develop your gardening skills, make sure you subscribe to my channel.
What is Roselle?
Roselle is famous as a Southern delicacy because for example, here in Florida it doesn't get cold enough to grow cranberries. But luckily we can grow Roselle, which tastes like and can be used in recipes just like cranberries. Coincidentally, Roselle calyces (singular: calyx or plural: calices or calyces), are ready to harvest in the fall which is perfect timing for Thanksgiving cranberry sauces and jellies.
Botanical Name For Roselle: Hibiscus sabdariffa
Roselle also goes by these names: Florida cranberry, gongura, Guinea/Indian/Jamaican/red sorrel, karkadi (or karkade), lemon bush, natal roselle, Queensland jelly plant, roselle hemp, sorrel, sour-sour, zobo.
History of Roselle
Roselle is native to West Africa, and it's been cultivated for centuries across the globe. Ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians and the Chinese, recognized its medicinal and culinary value. Roselle was even used to make a sour beverage enjoyed by pharaohs in Egypt. Its crimson calyces have become an integral part of various traditional dishes and beverages in countries like Thailand and Mexico.
I have a separate blog post that lists out tons of recipes using Roselle which you can view here: https://tinyurl.com/bdf6d9xt
Roselle VS False Roselle
A lot of people confuse Roselle for False Roselle. Both are part of the hibiscus family but are completely different plants.
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) plants have green leaves with red stems like the photo below. It is grown for its large plump calyces .
False Roselle (Hibiscus acetosella) looks like the photo below. The entire plant from its leaves, stems, and small calyces are a dark burgundy color. It does form tiny calyces but they are not the same size or quality like the kind you get from Roselle. The leaves of this plant are edible though, and taste very similar to cranberries.
False roselle also goes by these names: cranberry hibiscus, African rosemallow, false roselle, maroon mallow, and red leaved hibiscus.
Since these plants are edible, even if its in slightly different ways, I do sell plants for both of them on my website: www.jerrasgarden.com
How to Grow Roselle From seed - When To Sow Seeds For Roselle
Roselle does not like the cold, and is grown as a long lived annual. Plant them in the garden as soon as your last average spring frost has passed, so it has plenty of time to grow into a huge bush before it starts producing calyces in fall. The bigger the plant, the bigger the calyx harvest.
Seed sowing: Sow seeds indoors, 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds in 4 inch sized pots because they grow quickly. Or direct sow seeds after all danger of frost has passed.
Germination: Roselle seeds germinate very quickly if the soil is warm. Therefore, I recommend the use of heat mats to get germination in less than 7 days.
Light for seedlings: As soon as anything germinates it needs light. If you don't have a very bright window, then place the seedlings under some grow lights or shop lights that are 5000 kelvins or above for the day light range. Roselle easily gets leggy if it doesn't have bright light.
Ideal Growing Conditions For Roselle
Roselle is a pretty productive plant. Plants grown in ideal conditions can produce around 12lbs of calyces at harvest time. It is recommended that you plant more than 1 plant to ensure a good harvest.
Sun: Roselle thrives in warm and tropical climates. Plant it in full sun, 8 hours or more.
Soil: Everything grows best in soil rich in composted organic matter, but this plant is not picky, and its growing just fine in my native Florida sandy soil without any amendments.
Water: Roselle appreciates regular watering, but it's also somewhat drought-tolerant once established. Be cautious not to overwater and let the soil dry out between waterings.
Spacing: Plant your Roselle seedlings about 3 feet apart to allow ample space for the plant to grow. Mature plants get to be around 6-8FT tall. If crowded they will not grow big which means a lower yield at harvest time.
Fertilizer: Consistent applications of fertilizer help the plants grow faster. I really like organic granular fertilizers like Espoma Garden Tone. Just sprinkle some at the base of the plants once a month.
Pruning: Prune the tips of the branches early on to encourage more side branch growth. Bushier plants will produce more calyces since Roselle flowers all along the length of its branches.
Roselle Pests & Diseases
Roselle grows fantastic in hot tropical areas and doesn't get too many pests or diseases. You might notice some powdery mildew, which is easily treated with a spray made with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water. Aphids could be a problem as they like sucking the juices out of tender new growth. Spray with neem oil or organic insecticidal soap if the aphid infestation gets to be too much, otherwise I leave them alone because they attract a lot of lady bugs into the garden. Root Knot nematodes are a major pest problem so crop rotation, solarization, and adding some crab meal into the soil and/or planting hole will help. Crab meal is made out of chitin so it attracts beneficial nematodes that eat chitin, and they also eat bad nematodes.
Cold Hardiness: Roselle does not like the cold. Once temperatures start dropping into the 40's, expect plants to start declining as this marks the end of Roselle season. It is a perennial plant in areas that don't get cold.
How To Harvest Roselle Calices
Roselle plants are triggered to start flowering in the fall when the day light hours get shorter - no matter when the plants were originally planted. Expect to harvest calyces between October thru December (depending on how soon your first winter cold fronts arrive). The flower stays open for about 1-2 days. Then the flower falls out of the calyx leaving a greenish bulbous seed pod surrounded by the bright red fleshy calyx.
Calyces can be harvested as soon as the flower has closed and fallen out. You can pick the flower out of the calyx if it is stuck. personally, I like to leave the calyx on the plant for a few more days until its shape gets bigger and more round. Just make sure you harvest the calyx before it starts turning brown and drying out.
Use scissors or to cut the calyces off the branches, because pulling can damage the plant. Then remove the seed pod in the middle by peeling off the petals. The seed pod in the middle edible as well and some people use it to make tea or when making roselle jam (it helps thicken the jam).
How To Store Roselle Calyces
The calyces can store in the refrigerator for several weeks or dry them for long-term storage. You can dry pieces on a paper towel for a few weeks or use a dehydrator.
If you have any recipes or unique uses for Roselle, I would really appreciate it if you could share it in the comments below.