Sunday, August 9, 2009

False Roselle/Cranberry Hibiscus Update


Back in early June Jack planted Cranberry Hibiscus/False Roselle seeds. Here was the initial post after they had first sprouted...they certainly weathered the heat and extremes well. From those very small seeds emerged what appeared to be red maple seedlings. It is now early August, about three months total, and many of the plants tower over me.

The leaves are very similar to a red maple, or Japanese maple, sometimes appearing purplish with green tints intermingled, and sometimes tipped in vibrant crimson (especially the newer shoots and leaves).


These will benefit from getting cut back, since they are a bit lanky and need to be pruned in order to get a good bushy habit. I think that should also promote more flowers, too, as these will likely be blooming later in the year (let's see...it's our first time around with them).
We got them started in the plastic bins, but it's clear they need to be planted out soon. We're figuring that since they naturalize pretty easily in Florida in general, that they'll stand a better chance with freezes if they're in the ground and their roots can be better established by then. If they die back, they'll likely regrow from the roots. Again, let's see.
At a distance, their color here appears a dark plum color. Up close, the leaves are works of art, in every shade of plum, purple, violet, mauve, and the red spectrum. The veins are burgundy red.


We have tried eating both the tender emerging leaves (the dark red ones you see here at the tips) as well as the medium-sized leaves in teas. I've never tasted sorrell, but some folks describe the flavor as similar. To me, they have a mildly tart lemony flavor. The small tender leaves are very delicious in salads...we really like them! The other larger leaves are my current favorite in hot tea, especially combined with other medicinal tea plants. Right now I make a mix of fresh leaves of the false roselle (cranberry hibiscus), comfrey, moringa, and yerba buena...I feel good drinking it and even though I've been sick on and off this summer with a very stubborn respiratory infection, I do believe the tea helps give me a boost to build my immune system, or at least that's my hunch :)
I was delighted to find this video by Green Deane...fun and informative...check it out if you have time :)





But here's where the False Roselle is in its glory...with the blazing sun backlighting its leaves...this is the view out my dining area window (the only window visible from my kitchen), and when the sun is trying its best to wither and melt down everything in its path, the plucky false roselle's leaves gleam like jewels.
We are definitely keeping these for the longterm...they are so easy to grow from seed, they aren't bothered by extremes of weather, except for freezes, they are perrenial to our area for the most part, and for areas that have cold, they are easily grown from seed after the frosts. Prune them? They flourish and the pruned bits can be stuck into the soil to propagate more plants. They're delicious in salads and in stir fries...and teas.
When they flower, the blooms are a more delicate-looking version of a hibiscus, pink with purple veins, and though the flower has no taste, it is beautiful in salads. I can't wait to try them the way the ECHO global test farm recommends (check out the search bar for more about ECHO...we love them and use their seeds)...to pick them when the buds are closed near dusk and then to blend them with lime and sugar and serve as an iced drink...fresh limeade with a gorgeous pinkish glow...mmm!
When a plant is this versatile, I'm all about trying to think of how to use it in other ways. I wonder if the more tender medium-sized leaves could be used in recipes that would usually incorporate grape leaves, and if they might even be preserved for the longer term in brine the way grape leaves can. I haven't ventured much into the realm of making dolmas, but I've had some Greek food before, and eaten bits wrapped in grape leaves and thought them delicious. I wonder if the taste and texture of the false roselle leaves are close enough to grape leaves to serve as a delicious alternative with lemony undertones? Or if it would taste good flavoring a vinegar? Or included in jars of pickles (my grandma put grape leaves in hers along with the garlic and dill, etc) when canning. Or boiled with sugar and made into a simple syrup?
At any rate, if you have a hunch to try this plant, do! It's a great pollinator attractor and can be grown in clumps in the landscape, edible garden, or flowerbed.
We'll keep you posted as we transplant it and see how the bloom time goes, and how well it weathers our winter and some benign neglect from time to time. And I'll see if we can play with it a bit in the kitchen, too! If you have any ideas along those lines, let me know...I love to experiment :)


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a few of the cranberry hibiscus in my yard. Great plant requiring nothing but a little water and a good pruning.

ginger said...

I grew up in South America with these plants in my backyard. My mother made pie with the leaves, a two crust pie with leaves, sugar, and a thickener of flour and water paste. The closest I could describe the flavor would be rhubarb pie. The calyces or seed pods would be made into a tangy jam. It is one of the flavors I miss the most from my childhood.

dianne said...

I love cranberry hibiscus and have got 2 plants in pots . I love them in salads too . when I saute them they lose their body,like spinach but are great sauteed with onions and garlic . I don't think they're strong enough to make dolmas. I bought a chaya plant from echo,and I believe after boiling, of course, it would hold up to rolling dolmas and would take to brining well .
Like the suggestion of tea from hibiscus & moringa

monica said...

Robbyn!
I was searching for a legit source of the seeds for the cranberry hibiscus and here you have them.
I will trade you some Ohio Blue Clarage corn (VERY drought tolerant that did well last year during that heat wave) for some of the hibiscus if you still have some this year? Or can you recommend a good source?

Monica

Robbyn said...

Hey, Monica...it's been a LONG time!! we don't have any growing this year, and we had gotten ours from ECHO global farm in Ft Myers, FL. Here is a link for the Hibiscus acetosella sellers I found on a google search...http://davesgarden.com/products/ps/go/2112/
We finally got 5 acres and it may be next year before enough of it is cleared for crop growing...I will be really interested in corn seeds at that point! I hope you guys are doing WELL!!

Anonymous said...

Check with Wild Hare Kitchen and Garden Emporium in Longwood, FL they have tons of plants right now and might have a source for seeds!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this I love the idea of pie and jams I was thinking maybe some kind of chutney I am down in Australia and it seems to grow so well so I have been looking for ways to preserve some of in I did see people dry it for teas as well thought that might be good too.
I'll let you know ig I get around to making the jam or chutney.