Tea Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa, Roselle)

Hibiscus tea is one of my favorites due to its' sweet, tart flavor. Summer 2015 was my first year growing the plants in Augusta, Ga, and I am very happy with the results. The plants are nearly 8 ft tall and in appearance are similar to okra.

I am expecting them to start blooming in September/October. Hibiscus does not bloom until the daylight hours are less than 13 hours a day. Once they start blooming, you remove the early seed pod and calyx after the bloom is gone. The calyx is used for tea, and the inner seed pod is removed using a small apple corer. Air dry the calyxes and store in an air-tight container.

Be careful not to confuse this plant with the ornamental hibiscus plants with the large, beautiful colored flowers. The species used for tea is only the Hibiscus sabdariffa. It is an annual plant and will not survive cold winters. You can find sources for seed online. Start the seeds early in the season so you can get good growth and flower production before winter sets in.