Edible hibiscus? How to grow and use Hibiscus sabdariffa

Last Updated on June 20, 2023 by Aaron von Frank

Certain hibiscus plants don’t just make beautiful flowers, they can also make wonderful edible plants! In this article, you’ll learn more how to ID, grow, and use edible hibiscus, specifically Hibiscus sabdariffa.

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Ready to learn about edible hibiscus plants? Use the links in the table of contents to jump right to the section you’re interested in or read the whole article:

Table of contents:

1. An introduction to edible hibiscus and Hibiscus sabdariffa 
2. Edible parts of Hibiscus sabdariffa and how to use them
3. How to grow Hibiscus sabdariffa from seed
4. How to harvest hibiscus calyxes for food or seed saving
5. How to make hibiscus tea and other hibiscus recipes
6. Where to buy certified organic Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds, tea, or powder

1. An introduction to edible hibiscus and Hibiscus sabdariffa 

Many people have heard of hibiscus plants and can even identify a hibiscus flower. After all, the plants are quite common in traditional landscapes where they’re beloved for their large, showy flowers which bloom throughout the summer or even longer in warmer climate zones.

Are all hibiscus plants edible?

While hibiscus plants are valued for their beauty, there is another side to these plants that you should know about: many of them are edible. The edible parts of a hibiscus plant are the flowers, leaves, and fruit aka “calyxes.”

Some people say that all hibiscus plants are edible, although given the number of varieties (including new hybrid varieties) that abound, that’s a riskier claim than we’re willing to make. We recommend getting hibiscus varieties that are bred and known specifically for their edibility.

The best edible hibiscus that we know of is Hibiscus sabdariffa.

Edible Hibiscus sabdariffa: a plant with many names

For over a decade, we’ve enjoyed growing and eating Hibiscus sabdariffa, which goes by many other common names including:

• Florida cranberry,
• cranberry hibiscus,
• roselle,
• Jamaica sorrel, and others.

Yes, this plant has quite a few common names, which is why we use the botanical name Hibiscus sabdariffa to avoid confusion! For instance, this is NOT the same plant as the also-edible hibiscus known as ‘False Roselle,’ (Hibiscus acetosella).

Origins and basic information

Hibiscus sabdariffa is a subspecies best known for its edibility, and it’s the hibiscus variety traditionally used to make hibiscus tea. It’s a large, fast-growing, sun-loving shrub native to West Africa.

In our climate zone (7b), Hibiscus sabdariffa grows as an annual, similar to tomatoes. However, in warm, tropical regions it grows as a perennial. 

As you might be able to tell from the flower structure (see above), hibiscus is in the Mallow family, and closely related to okra and cotton.

It’s interesting to note that marshmallows (the confection) used to be made from actual Mallow plants closely related to hibiscus, back before the advent of corn starch and high fructose corn syrup.

2. What parts of Hibiscus sabdariffa are edible?

The calyxes, leaves, and flower petals of Hibiscus sabdariffa are edible. 

a. Calyxes

What is a hibiscus calyx? The calyx is technically the fused sepals of the flower; attached directly to the stem of the plant, it’s the first part of the flower to develop. 

Hibiscus sabdariffa calyxes are the ingredient used to make Hibiscus tea, a bright red-colored, tangy vitamin C-rich delight. They’re also used to make sauces, jams, and other treats.

b. Leaves

Hibiscus sabdariffa’s large green leaves pack a tangy punch, and can also be used to make tea or chopped to be used in everything from salads to sauces to stews/soups.

c. Flower petals

Hibiscus sabdariffa branches are covered with colorful yellow flowers whose petals make a nice addition in salad. After pollination, they develop into ripe calyxes, with a seed pod inside. 

In more northern climates, it can take quite a while for flower development to initiate – sometimes well into mid-summer.

While Hibiscus sabdariffa flowers are a bit smaller than the common hibiscus varieties used ornamentally in landscapes, the fact that they form a delightful edible fruit/calyx more than makes up for their size deficiency relative to hibiscus varieties bred purely for show, which don’t make good edible calyxes.

3. How to grow Hibiscus sabdariffa from seed

Given its tropical origins, Hibiscus sabdariffa thrives in warm, wet weather. We’ve grow them from seed for about 10 years, and have learned a few tips and tricks along the way:

Step 1. Soak seeds for 24 hours.  

Some sources recommend scraping a hole in the seed surface with a file before sowing. We don’t think it’s worth the aggravation. Instead, soak your hibiscus seeds in water indoors for 24 hours before you plant them. This will soften up the thick, hard seed coating.

Step 2. Start indoors.   

• Sow your pre-soaked hibiscus seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date in spring. (If you grow tomatoes from seeds, start at the same time!)
• Sow seeds 1/4″ deep in dampened seed starting mix inside seed starting containers (biodegradable pots or plastic cells).

Step 3. Use a heat mat. 

Hibiscus seeds need very warm conditions to sprout. Normal indoor temps around 70°F aren’t warm enough for optimal germination.

To get the best and fastest hibiscus seed germination possible, start them on a heat mat set to 80°F.

Step 4. Keep soil warm and damp (not wet).

Keep the containers on the warm heat mat and make sure to maintain adequate soil moisture (keep the seed starting mix damp, but not soaking wet). Within 10 days, the seeds should germinate.

Step 5. Place under grow lights.

If you’re a serious gardener, we recommend making a DIY indoor grow light setup like this one. Modern, energy-efficient windows filter out too much sun to keep hibiscus seedlings healthy indoors.

Put your hibiscus seedlings under grow lights, set to about 1-2″ over the tops of the plants (if using fluorescent bulbs). The heat mat is optional at this point, but the plants will grow faster if kept warmer.

Step 6. Transfer outside after last frost. 

You may need to pot up your hibiscus seedlings into larger containers one time before it’s time to transplant them outdoors. Then, after your last frost date has passed and there are no temperatures below 40°F, transplant your hibiscus plants outdoors into their final location.

Hibiscus sabdariffa plants can grow to 6′ tall x 4′ wide, so give them plenty of room! Also consider providing support using wide, heavy DIY tomato cages since their branches are subject to snapping in heavy winds, especially when they’re loaded with calyxes.

4. How to harvest hibiscus calyxes for food or seed saving

Here’s when and how to harvest hibiscus calyxes:

Step 1. Pick the ripe calyxes.

After a hibiscus flower has bloomed, it will desiccate (shrivel up and drop from the plant) about 24-48 hours later. Then the calyx will close around the internal seed pod and continue to develop.

How do you know when to harvest the calyx? This is somewhat subjective, but we usually give them anywhere from 3-7 days after the flower has dropped.

When young, the calyxes can be easily snapped off the plant by hand at the stem. When fully ripe, the calyxes will not easily snap off of the plant by hand. Instead, you’ll need to use clippers or snips to cut them off at the stem.

Seed saving note – Any calyxes you’re planning to harvest expressly for seed saving purposes should be left on the plant for at least a few weeks so the seeds mature – the longer, the better.

Step 2. Separate the calyx from the seed pod.

Here’s how we process our calyxes / remove the internal seed pod:

i. Cut fully through the base of the calyx, removing the stem and severing the attachment point for the internal seed pod.

ii. Option 1: Cut a slit down the length of the calyx and remove the calyx, but this method means you won’t have a perfectly intact calyx when you’re done. Option 2: Use a firm object (like a stick or chopstick) to pop out the seed pod from the calyx. This leaves the calyx intact. 

Step 3. Immediately use or dry the calyxes.

If you plan to use the calyxes within 24-48 hours for tea, sauce, or fresh jelly, you can just leave them on your counter. However, the calyxes do start to lose moisture and texture the longer you let them sit, and they may even start to mold if you’ve had a lot of rain prior to harvest. 

They will store in a bag or jar in your fridge for a couple weeks. 

If you want to save your processed calyxes for later use (like when you have large harvests), dry them in a dehydrator or on a rack under a ceiling fan.

We LOVE our Excalibur dehydrator for drying edible hibiscus and other garden delights that we grow throughout the year.

Step 4. Save the seeds.

We’re always amazed by how productive our Hibiscus sabdariffa plants are.

Each year, we leave several of the largest calyxes on a few of our plants so we can grow seeds for future years. The longer you leave them on the plant, the better for seed production and seed viability.

Once you harvest a Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx/seed pod for the express purpose of seed-saving, be sure to let the seed pods dry for a month inside before storing them in a ziplock or any container that would trap moisture and reduce their viability.

The seed pods should be dry, brittle and easy to crack open, spilling out dozens of small black seeds for future bounties.

Remember, even though all varieties of hibiscus may be edible, the best variety of hibiscus for edible flowers, leaves, and calyxes is Hibiscus sabdariffa.  

5. How to make hibiscus tea and other hibiscus recipes

The very first recipe you should make with Hibiscus sabdariffa calyxes is hibiscus tea. It’s super easy to make, vibrantly beautiful, and incredibly tasty…

How does hibiscus tea taste? Unsweetened hibiscus tea tastes like lemon-cranberries, ergo it benefits from a sweetener like stevia or honey. It also packs quite a bit of vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium. 

Making a basic hibiscus tea is easy. Here’s how:

• Pour boiling water over a cup containing three whole hibiscus calyxes (dried or fresh) and let steep for about 5 minutes. The tea should be bright pink when ready.
• Sweeten tea to taste, then serve! 

We like to sweeten our Hibiscus tea with stevia powder or local honey. We also like to add fresh-muddled ginger and makrut lime leaves for a spicy citrus finish.

Poured over ice, hibiscus tea is one of our all-time favorite homegrown and homemade teas. 

More hibiscus recipes

Ready to move beyond hibiscus tea?

Try our hibiscus relish recipe:

And if you want a crazy-delicious dessert recipe, try our Hibiscus coconut rice made with Carolina Gold rice (or other steamed rice of our choice):

Want to find out how to boost your pickle-making skills with hibiscus? Check out our Florida betony-roselle pickle recipe:

6. Where to buy certified organic Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds, tea, or powder

Ready to start growing your own edible hibiscus plants? OR want some edible hibiscus but don’t have the time or ability to grow your own? Here’s where to get what you need:

• Certified organic hibiscus seeds 
• Certified organic hibiscus roselle tea 
• Certified organic hibiscus powder

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We hope this article answered all your edible hibiscus questions and has you ready to grow your own beautiful, edible hibiscus plants in your garden next summer!