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Hibiscus Roselle – Growing Hibiscus, Hibiscus Medicine, Hibiscus Recipes

8:10 am by Seeking Joyful Simplicity 21 Comments

Hibiscus Roselle – Growing Hibiscus, Hibiscus Medicine, Hibiscus Recipes

I am excited to share my new favorite medicinal plant – Hibiscus! Not only is the hibiscus sabdariffa flower beautiful, hibiscus medicine and hibiscus recipes are used world-wide for health and nutrition.

Hibiscus sabdariffa produces beautiful flowers and is used world-wide for food and medicine. Learn about the current science for hibiscus medicine and enjoy these delicious hibiscus recipes.

 

The content on this site may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. SeekingJoyfulSimplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle 

Growing Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a beautiful tropical plant often used in landscaping. I was introduced to the hibiscus flower by my community herbalist mentor Krista at Forrest Green Farm. There are many varieties of hibiscus flower, the one I am referring to specifically is the Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as Roselle. The roselle is now an important part of my apothecary and pantry. Let me share why I value this delightful plant, and the many ways we enjoy it.

Growing, harvesting, and using hibiscus offers so many benefits including:

  • Long-lasting beauty in the garden
  • Unique flavor for foods and beverages
  • Medicinal properties

 

Hibiscus sabdariffa produces beautiful flowers and is used world-wide for food and medicine. Learn about the current science for hibiscus medicine and enjoy these delicious hibiscus recipes.

 

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Uses

Hibiscus is cultivated worldwide for food, fiber, medicine, and beauty. It grows upright on a long red and green stalk, and can be as tall as 4 to 7 feet. Roselle flowers are pale yellow with a deep red center, and dark red, fleshy calyx. It is the calyces that are harvested and used as food and medicine. Roselle is grown as an annual in my home state of Virginia, and I am able to harvest and save seeds. It is easy to grow, tolerant of most soils and water conditions, and an attractive addition to any garden.

The fleshy calyces are harvested in the and used in cooking, to make beverages, both hot and cold, in making jams and preserves, syrups, and added to foods for flavoring and color. For the holidays I like to make this lovely Hibiscus Cranberry Sauce, and I enjoy making a beautiful Hibiscus Cordial – it makes a lovely gift! (You can read about cordials and find the Hibiscus Cordial recipe on my post Herb Cordials – Simple Homemade Gifts.)

Hibiscus sabdariffa – traditional medicine

Hibiscus has a long history of medicinal use throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and India. Traditional uses include:

  • Supporting respiratory health
  • Cooling and maintaining body temperature
  • Diuretic
  • Mild laxative
  • Removing intestinal parasites (antihelmintic)

Current research is examining the healing influence of hibiscus for:

  • High blood pressure
  • Reducing Cholesterol levels
  • Cancer prevention
  • Weight loss
  • Maintaining Blood sugar levels

Hibiscus sabdariffa produces beautiful flowers and is used world-wide for food and medicine. Learn about the current science for hibiscus medicine and enjoy these delicious hibiscus recipes.

How Does Hibiscus Work?

Hibiscus is high in a class of plant chemicals called polyphenols. Polyphenols function in plants to:

  • Prevent microbial infections
  • Protect the plant against damage from UV rays
  • Provide color (to attract pollinators)
  • And much more

 In humans polyphenols have the following effects:

  • Powerful Antioxidant properties
  • May slow the release of glucose after a meal
  • Strong Anti-inflammatory properties
  • Antimicrobial – bacteria, fungus, and virus
  • Anticancer properties
  • Reduce risk and complication of cardiovascular disease

The polyphenols found in roselle hibiscus are similar to those found in blueberry, cranberry, blackberry, cherry, and dark purple grape varieties.

 

Hibiscus sabdariffa produces beautiful flowers and is used world-wide for food and medicine. Learn about the current science for hibiscus medicine and enjoy these delicious hibiscus recipes.

 

Hibiscus Recipes

You can purchase quality organic dried Hibiscus flowers here.

Roselle calyces are slightly tart, reminding me of a very mild cranberry flavor. They can be added to tea blends, added to soups, made into syrups, jams and jellies, used to add color to icings and as an edible decoration to foods.

I haven’t experimented beyond making hot and cold tea blends, but I am excited about all the possibilities. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Soothing Hibiscus Fairy Tea

1 cup of water, boiled
1-2 fresh or dried roselle calyces
1 teaspoon your choice of: Chamomile , Lemon Balm, Catnip , or Peppermint Leaf

Pour the hot water over the tea blend and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain the herbs.
Sweeten to taste

Simple Iced Hibiscus Tea

Handful of fresh or dried roselle calyces
1 quart of water
Boil and allow to steep for 30 minutes or more (the longer you steep, the stronger the flavor and color)
Strain into a 2-quart jar or pitcher
Add a quart of fresh water
Add sweetener to taste
Serve cold

 


If you are interested in adding the wonderful hibiscus sabdariffa to your garden and kitchen, here are some resources to help you:

Herbalist Rosalee de la Foret has a Hibiscus Healing Cream Recipe that sounds wonderful!

Waterdog Farms has several recipes including a Hibiscus Limeade 

Mountain Rose Herbs Blog has fun recipes including a Hibiscus Highball Cocktail, and a Hibiscus Berry Chia Tea.

Filed Under: Healing Herbs, Simple Food Tagged With: growing hibiscus, hibiscus medicine, hibiscus recipes, hibiscus sabdariffa medicinal

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. helloredds says

    at 9:24 am

    Thank you for all of the great info about hibiscus flowers! I really love tea made with hibiscus.
    I found your post today on SHINE.
    Hope you have a restful weekend~
    Blessings,
    Melanie

    Reply
    • Seeking Joyful Simplicity says

      at 10:10 am

      Thanks Melanie, enjoy your weekend!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says

    at 10:52 am

    Oh wow, I had no idea about the benefits of hibiscus! I have to let my dad know – he’s borderline diabetic and this sounds like it would really help him!

    Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).

    Wishing you a lovely weekend.
    xoxo

    Reply
    • Seeking Joyful Simplicity says

      at 12:20 pm

      Thanks for stopping by Jennifer. The anti-inflammatory properties can be a great benefit for us all!

      Reply
  3. Karen Grosz says

    at 5:52 pm

    I enjoy a cup of hibiscus tea. It is tart yet soothing. Thanks for sharing the benefits with us at Let’s Get Real Friday.

    Reply
    • Seeking Joyful Simplicity says

      at 8:08 pm

      Thank you for stopping by, enjoy your weekend!

      Reply
  4. DM says

    at 8:27 pm

    testing 1 -2 -3…(wordpress had me fill out some forms to see if they could fix my problem of landing in various one’s spam folder)..going to leave a comment here and see what happens. 😉 DM

    Reply
    • Seeking Joyful Simplicity says

      at 8:25 am

      Looks like you’re back DM! I’m glad you were able to get it resolved.

      Reply
  5. Jordan says

    at 10:21 pm

    Love this post! I just got a hibiscus plant on clearance and was looking for more info. Thanks for linking to the Homestead Blog Hop.

    Reply
    • Seeking Joyful Simplicity says

      at 8:13 am

      Oh! I hope you enjoy your hibiscus – pretty and useful. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  6. Marla says

    at 3:00 pm

    HI Michelle,
    Great information. I think I have a hibiscus plant that is a different color – it has a beautiful pink flower on and each year it gets bigger and has more blooms on it. This is my third or fourth year I had it and it hasn’t started blooming yet but is really getting big and I am excited about seeing the lovely flowers. I have heard of Hibiscus tea before and making it iced sounds so tasty and refreshing on hot summer day. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!

    Reply
  7. Carol says

    at 9:48 am

    I found a tea at a local store, and have ‘copied’ it : you make a strong tea with hibiscus and Yerba Mate. (in addition to the plain hibiscus flower, I also use some of MRH Hibiscus High Tea blend) Put all herbs in a large container (I use an Anchor Hocking 4 quart batter bowl with a lid; something I have found to be extremely versatile and can’t seem to live without now!), add boiling water. Add in a package of frozen BERRIES and smash them into the mixture. Let steep for about an hour, or until cool, not cold. Strain. Add some honey when the mix has cooled.
    I use this as a ‘base’ and put 1/2 & 1/2 with water to make a very cooling drink for summer.

    Reply
    • Seeking Joyful Simplicity says

      at 10:29 am

      Ohhh, I love your idea Carol! We are going blackberry picking today…I see a nice tea blend with blackberries. Thank you so much for sharing your idea!

      Reply
  8. Emma Cooper says

    at 2:13 am

    I love that so many beautiful and tasty plants turn out to be healthy, too! You’re right, Roselle is a delightful plant, I must grow it 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Seeking Joyful Simplicity says

      at 6:32 am

      Thanks Emma – I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  9. Katy SkipTheBag says

    at 1:08 pm

    I love hibiscus tea. I never thought about it maybe having medicinal properties! Thanks for sharing on the Waste Less Wednesday Hop!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Making Herb Cordials – Simple Homemade Gifts | Seeking Joyful Simplicity says:
    at 8:24 am

    […] antioxidants. I now grow my own and use it in all kinds of fun recipes. you can read more about the benefits of hibiscus here. Combining hibiscus with lemon balm, a member of the mint family, creates a cooling and soothing […]

    Reply
  2. Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #231 | Farmgirl Unleashed says:
    at 12:35 pm

    […] Last week I loved reading the blog on Hibiscus. I have Hibiscus and yet I buy tea with Hibiscus. Michelle from Seeking Joyful Simplicity shared a tea recipe and more on Hibiscus. […]

    Reply
  3. Great Green Finds: Delicious Summer Treats - HealthyGreenSavvy says:
    at 12:20 pm

    […] at Seeking Joyful Simplicity introduced me to the medicinal properties of hibiscus flowers, which I’ve only occasionally added to homemade tea blends. I’m always looking for new ways to […]

    Reply
  4. Things I Loved in July - Whole Natural Life says:
    at 8:01 am

    […] hibiscus flower is a great herbal medicine that has a number of health benefits. Go see her hibiscus flower recipes […]

    Reply
  5. Hibiscus Cranberry Sauce – A Special Holiday Recipe | Seeking Joyful Simplicity says:
    at 3:57 pm

    […] medicinal value and the stunning color it adds to foods and beverages. Roselle has become one of my favorite herbs to grow and use, and I encourage you to consider adding it to your home garden and […]

    Reply

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The information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical advice and care. It is simply my perspective for you to consider as you make good choices for you and your family’s health. The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and maintaining health. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not meant to diagnose any disease, nor is it intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Seek the support and care of a physician and/or complementary care practitioner you trust, and above all, listen to and trust in yourself. Be well!

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