We’ve been growing edible hibiscus for several years and it’s one of the most carefree plants we’ve ever grown. Commonly known as Rosella and Jamaican Sorrel, Florida Cranberry, and scientifically as Hibiscus sabdariffa, the flower, fruit, and leaves are all edible.

Edible hibiscus is a short-day plant that grows in tropical and subtropical areas. However, it can be grown as an annual in colder areas. If you want to learn more about how day length affects plant growth and why some plants prefer shorter days, I suggest the Understanding Your Climate short course.
Are all hibiscus edible?
There are hundreds of varieties of hibiscus and more are being bred every year. Because of this, it’s hard to say if every variety of hibiscus is edible.
However, there are some that have traditionally been used for food and medicine with Hibiscus sabdariffa being the most popular. Hibiscus sabdariffa also goes by the common names of Jamaican sorrell, Florida cranberry, and Roselle.
Cranberry Hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella) is another popular edible hibiscus variety and Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
If you’re growing hibiscus to eat or use medicinally, you need to be sure of the variety and do your research to make sure that it’s not only edible but also know if there are any contraindications with that variety or what side effects there might be.
If you’re unsure of your variety, take it, or good photos of it, to your County Extension Office and ask for help.
How to grow hibiscus will be the similar regardless of variety, but the information on using them isn’t. Hibiscus sabdariffa is closely related to the okra plant and it’s flowers are very similar.
Once the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower falls off it leaves behind a pod, just like okra does, but this pod is called a calyx and is the part of the plant that most people use.

Growing Edible Hibiscus
Hibiscus can be started from seed. I originally purchased seeds online and then a local friend gave me some seeds from her plants. Now I have seeds from my own plants so this is really a one time purchase.
The seeds are pretty hard so I scarify them for better germination. To scarify them, rub them on a piece of fine sandpaper and then soak overnight before planting.
Start the seeds in pots and then plant them in the garden when they’re about 4-5 inches tall and after all danger of frost has passed. Keep the area as weed free as possible, you can mulch pretty heavily to do this.
Hibiscus bushes can get pretty tall, about 6-7 feet, and about 3 feet across, so you’ll want to give them some space. They would make a lovely hedge if you planted quite a few.
Each bush will give you 1-2 pounds of calyxes depending on how long your growing season is. It takes about 10-12 pounds of fresh calyxes to make 1 pound of dried; so if you want a pound of dried hibiscus you’ll need to plant 6-8 bushes.
Hibiscus seems to have very little pest pressure. I usually don’t notice any pests on our plants all summer but in the fall I often notice some caterpillars and stink bugs. However, I rarely see any damage, just the actual pests.
In order to produce flowers, hibiscus needs shorter days. I didn’t realize this and we had a couple of blooms and then nothing all summer. Then in the fall when the days started getting shorter it just exploded.
I thought it needed cooler weather, but that’s not the case, it needs shorter days. So, plan on a fall or early winter harvest.

Harvesting Hibiscus
The Hibiscus sabdariffa blooms are simple and beautiful. They are a light pinkish color and look very similar to okra blooms. They are only open for a day or so.
Once they die and fall off the calyx is ready to harvest. I don’t harvest them every day so some of our calyxes are quite large and some are smaller.
After a while the calyx will start to get woody and dry out. These will have mature seeds, so if you want to save seeds make sure to let some stay on the plant until the seeds fully mature.
The calyx should just snap right off the branch when it’s ready. However, some might need to be snipped off with some scissors.
Inside the calyx is a seed pod that you will probably want to out. I just slit down the side of the calyx and then around the bottom with a small parring knife.
However, the seed pod is contains mucilage, not quite as much as okra, but it’s soothing to sore throats. So, I dehydrate some of the calyx by just cutting them in quarters without removing the seed pod. I use these during the winter when we need our tea to be extra soothing.

Using Hibiscus
Medicinally, hibiscus is often used to help with high blood pressure, stomach issues, loss of appetite, and several other issues. If you’re interested in using hibiscus medicinally I want to encourage you to talk with a trained herbalist or natural health care provider.
Caution: there is some evidence to suggest that large intake of hibiscus could cause issues with kidney stones in those who have already had kidney stones. You can read more in this article from the American Botanical Council.
We love adding hibiscus to our tea. It has a sour flavor similar to cranberries. I don’t use a set recipe, I just toss some into my cup of mint or nettle tea. If you’re looking for a tea that has quite a bit of vitamin C for the winter, you should try this rose hip and hibiscus tea. This super fruit tea also looks like a tasty year round drink.
Hibiscus can also be used as a kool-aid alternative for a tasty and healthy drink for children – or adult. Another drink for warm weather is this hibiscus clove cooler.
Our son makes kombucha and I’m going to see if I can convince him to branch out and make some hibiscus kombucha for me to try.
I have to say that this chocolate cake with hibiscus curd is probably the most elegant and intriguing idea I’ve seen so far for using hibiscus calyxes. We’ll be making this before our bushes stop producing.
While searching for something to do with the seedpods a friend recommended this article for to me for making a pomegranate hibiscus fire cider and I’m so glad she did. This is the only article I’ve found that suggests just chopping up the immature seed pod with the rest of the calyx and using that for teas. I’ll be doing that from now on.
Hibiscus isn’t just for eating though, you can also use it in a hair rinse and I have friend who’s experimenting dying wool yarn with it which is super cool!
Leaves and flowers are also edible; in some cultures the leaves are cooked like spinach and have a tangy flavor. Some teas are made with just the flowers, leaves and calyxes. Lastly, the wood of some varieties can be used as fiber similar to jute.
Like mulberries, hibiscus is truly an all purpose plant.

Do you grow or use edible hibiscus? If so, leave your tips and recipes in the comments.
Thank you so much for featuring my hibiscus cake and for educating the world about this fabulous ingredient!! What a lovely website you have <3
Thanks Kathryn. We’re so excited to try your cake. I’m waiting until our oldest son and his family are here so they can enjoy it with us. It’s just so very lovely!
Thank you so much, I just bought my first lb of dried Jamaica and was sure if they were edible (can’t explain why I would think something I’m making tea with wouldn’t be safe to eat lol.)
Anyway I stubbled on to your site and I’m now going to grow my own Hibiscus plants.
How fun!
Glad to find this, I have 3 edible hibiscus that I purchased from either Baker or Territorial and didn’t know what part was edible. Glad to know the leaves are as well as the calyces as mine has not bloomed just yet. Also happy to learn that mine may begin blooming soon as the days shorten.
Mine just started blooming last week so hopefully yours will bloom soon!
I just planted this and its amazing, I have figured out a few things
1) flowers don’t bloom from top down, they bloom in middle of the plant first.
2) after flower blooms, 24 hours later, tug slightly on dead flower, should come out easy, super easy, then snap of the calyx, snaps off easy.
then you have a pea size seed, pop that out and then dry the calyx (red part) store seeds for later, allow to dry.
3) if you pop off calyx and its hard to snap off and if there is a huge seed, the flower did not bloom yet and its slimy inside- yuk.
also I just dry calyx on towel and dry in 24 hrs. in Arizona.
We all learn !
I would like to hear about tea recipes,
how many calyx per cups of tea and someone said this reduces blood pressure too.
anyone have a recipe for the leaves?
thanks
Thanks for your tips, Karla! I like to wait longer than 24 hours and let the calyx grow some. If the flower doesn’t bloom there won’t be a calyx at all. If the flower doesn’t get pollinated the seed pod inside the calyx won’t grow, it will stay small and fall off the plant. The large seed pod that is somewhat slimy inside is actually very good for the digestive tract and sore throats…similar to okra. I like to dehydrate some with the seed pod by quartering the calyx and dehydrating it. It makes a super soothing tea for sore throats.
Since we just use hibiscus for flavor and not really medicinally, I don’t really pay much attention to how much I put in. Right now we’re really enjoying tea that has a few slices of fresh ginger, some lemon balm, and few hibiscus. If you want to be able to recreate the recipes you create you should really weigh out your herbs and keep notes on the combinations.
So what other uses are there besides tea ?
There are a lot more uses besides tea. Here’a list of what can be done with them.
What a way of presenting this all purpose plant. I’m working on Rosrlle and I found this article interesting. Cheers
Thanks. I’m glad you found it helpful. I love hibiscus more and more every year.
I have read from several reliable sources that sorrel, as we call it here on the tropical Caribbean coast of Panamà, has high concentrations of calcium oxylate. This should be of concern to those who use this plant and suffer from kidney stones. I love the tea but hate kidney stones, so I limit my intake.
Hi Steve, thanks so much for bringing that to our attention. I’ll edit the post to add that as a caution.
Hi Angi, I have friends from Mexico and they drink iced hibiscus tea all year long. Here’s how I make it for a gallon.
Put 2 cups of sugar in a pot and cover with water. Cook about 5 minutes, this will dissolve the sugar. Take off of heat and add 1cup of the dried hibiscus flower to the pot and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain the flowers from this simple syrup and add enough water to make it a gallon. Instead of discarding the flowers they can be rolled in sugar and become candied. I also make hibiscus jelly that’s also very yummy!
Thanks so much for the recipe, Joan. It sounds delicious! I’m going to try my hand at making hibiscus jelly, too. I had not thought of that. I might need to plant more hibiscus this year…lol
Okay, I am very confused. I love hibiscus tea, but these do not look anything like the hibiscus I have. Does that mean my hibiscus are not the right kind? Mine are green calyx but huge red flowers.
Hi Rachel, there are many varieties of hibiscus but not all of them are edible. This one is the Hibiscus sabdariffa. According to the University of Minnesota extension Hibiscus rosa-sinensis has edible flowers also, it doesn’t mention if the seed pod is also edible, https://extension.umn.edu/flowers/edible-flowers. If you know the scientific name of the ones you have, you can do some research to find out what parts are edible.
Hello all. Thank you for your blog, Angi. I have been dealing with borderline pre-hypertension for years, and so was keen for natural products to keep my BP down… I was doing well util I went overseas for 4 months and left my Rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa, as mentioned in your post) tea and kombucha behind.
I make my kombucha with 2 Tblsp of black tea and 4 Tblsp of dried rosella calyxes, with about 4 litres of water and one cup of sugar. i tried to reduce the sugar, but noticed that the scobi tended to get sluggish, and they stay healthier whilst active. The sugar ferments off anyway, mostly. I’ve never added anything to these for a second ferment, but occasionally through in sliced root ginger and turmeric to the simmering tea for the first ferment. The Rosella tea makes it a beautiful rosy colour, it tastes fruity, and you know it’s doubly good for you!
I dry the calyxes using either a food dehydrator or placing them on a cake mesh over a k=baking pan in the car on a hot day. 🙂
To remove the calyxes with as much ease as possible, use an apple corer, and simply push the corer through the middle of the calyx. Then the large seed pops out, and the calyx is left almost intact.
I also eat all parts of the plant just as I walk around in the garden… a leaf here, a flower there, a raw calyx… I love tart fruit and lollies so these are perfect for me, just slightly acid.
As you and your readers are interested in edible perennials and medicinals, like me, I thought you might be interested in Cosmos caudatus.. I’ve only just heard of this recently, and it is a very beautiful plant, beneficial insect attractant and it’s edible.. It’s a large Cosmos, becoming a small to medium shrub, with tasty, easy to harvest leaves. I also recommend Sambung nyawa, aka Gynura procumbens, if you get warm to hot weather. It is a semi-procumbent vine with very palatable leaves with a great texture.. Juice, eat raw off the plant or stir fry.. Best to research it for climate and how to use, but dozens of my best friends have clambered for cuttings, and if you can grow Rosella both of these should be fine, too.
Many blessings, Linnie.
Linnie, thanks so much for the recommendations, I’m excited to look into them. Living along the Texas Gulf Coast our summers are super hot, so anything that prefers hot weather is a welcome addition for me. And thanks for the apple corer recommendation! I’m excited to try that this year when we harvest.
I would like to inform you that it is sorrel seeds you are describing.It makes a sorrel drink in the Caribbean islands.You can google sorrel for a back up.
Hey Judy, we’re actually talking about the same plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa. It has various names including agua/rosa de Jamaica, roselle, and sorrel. Common names will often be different in different part of the world which is why I included the scientic name in the article.
I planted roselle in my garden this year and really enjoyed it. I would like to preserve some roselle jelly using the hot water bath canning method, but I’ve had trouble finding a simple recipe (roselle, water, sugar, lemon and pectin). Do you have a recipe you can share with me?
Thank you,
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah, I just made a batch of jelly last night. I can tell you what I did. I didn’t add any lemon juice but probably should have because I thought the jelly was a little sweet. I deseeded 20 hibiscus and boiled them in 4 1/2 cups of water, then turned it down to a simmer and let them simmer for about 30 minutes. Then I strained the solids and had about 4 cups of juice. I put the juice and a box of pectin in a pot and brought it to a boil and then added 4 1/2 cups sugar and boiled for one minute. Remove from the heat and ladle into prepared jars. Next time I make it I’m going to try using low sugar pectin. I also want to try a full sugar batch but add about 1/4c-1/2 cup lemon juice. So I would start with only 4 cups water and it would probably reduce to about 3 1/2 by the time it’s done simmering. Then I’d make up the difference with lemon juice. Hope this helps.
Can you tell me how you can it. Do you water bath? For how long?
I’ve only made hibiscus jelly and that is water bath canned for 10 minutes. I’m working on another canning recipe but it will be a while before it’s ready.
I just got done reading this wonderful article & would love more information on them. I live in Ohio, I think we are 5 or 6 in planting zones. Which plant would do better in my area? Thank you for all the wonderful information.
Hi Tesa, I’m not sure what plants would do better in your area as I’ve only grown hibiscus sabdariffa. The seeds are fairly inexpensive so if you can grow okra in your climate, I think it’s worth a try growing hibiscus. You’ll need to start them indoors 6-8 weeks before your average last frost. If they produce fruit, you can save seeds for next year, so the seed purchase is just a one time purchase. If you try growing them, I’d love to know how it works out for you.
Hi – I grow Hibiscus Sabdariffa quite successfully in South Florida and use the calyx for tea. My hope was to obtain the vitamin C it provides, but just learned that vitamin C is destroyed very quickly in temperatures over 89 degrees farhreheit. Now I don’t know that I should be drying it in oven or even boiling it in tea. Any suggestions?
Hi Geriann, my understanding is that heat will destroy some of the vitamin C, it won’t destroy all of it. Part of it being destroyed has to do with the breaking down of the cell walls. I’m sure in your climate, like mine we have many days of over 90 degree weather and that’s when the calyxes are forming and being harvested – and yet, they’re full of vitamin C, because their cell walls are still intact. When I dehydrate the calyx I try to keep as much of it intact as I can, to reduce the amount of cell damage. I also dehydrate them on the herb setting of my dehydrator (85-90F) but it takes several days. As far as tea goes, you can always do a long cold infusion instead of hot tea. Here’s a great article from Herbal Academy about boiling water and it’s affect on nutrients. Also, my personal stance for our family is that I’d rather get less vitamin C from real food than get big doses from supplements. I think given your climate, that between eating fresh citrus and greens, and enjoying cold hibiscus tea, you can get plenty of vitamin C.
Hello from CA! We recently purchased a few Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. One of the plants has started to get little green fruit pods on them. I have been trying to find out if they are edible and if so, when are they mature? We love the beautiful flowers, but we’re curious about the other benefits. This is not a sabdariffa. Any help would be appreciated!
Hi Rhonda, according to Plants for a Future, the leaves, flowers and roots of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis are edible. I don’t know about the seed pod. I would assume not since it’s not listed.
Stumbled on to this site and would love to grow my own; where to purchase seeds? We live in North central florida
True Leaf Market has roselle seeds.
We are growing perennial hibiscus in z zone 6. We don’t know the varieties but assume they are edible.
Why must the stamen be removed to make tea. Is it poison or will it make tea taste bad ? we are at aware of annual hibiscus also . Trying to learn everything we can about the plant
I don’t have any experience using perennial hibiscus flowers for tea so I can’t say why the stamen is removed.
I bought some at the store and was wondering how to get them soft and sweet to eat and add to cocktails. I have a hibiscus margarita a long time ago and the barkeep had them in a jar and since it was added as a garnish with the syrup from their jar it was sweet, soft and delicious.
I’m betting they were canned or cooked in a simple syrup.
Thank you for this information! I am super excited to try growing these in northern utah. I currently have rose of sharon bushes in our yard that can handle the cold, but im wondering if i can get the sabdriffa to cross pollinate and with them to take on some of their cold tolerance. Even if not, im really excited to start using these. We have been setting up a small facebook business, Clarke’s Backyard Bounty, to try and create a place for those garden plants that are not usually available in the major nurseries, and help people locally learn more about the things they can do with their garden. So this page is very helpful with the information on Hibiscus. Thank you again!
You’re so welcome. Let me know how the cross pollination goes. That’s super interesting. Much luck on your fb business, it’s exciting to see people promote plants that are not commercially available.