Florida Cranberry (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
18 Reviews
Regular price $19.95
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Edible and Medicinal Hibiscus with Tart Flavor

Common Names: Florida Cranberry, Roselle, Jamaican Sorrel, Red Sorrel, Fleur de Jamaica or Gongura
Family: Malvaceae
Origin: West Africa, widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions

Florida Cranberry (Hibiscus sabdariffa), also known as Roselle or Jamaican Sorrel, is a fast-growing annual or perennial shrub known for its vibrant red calyces, which are harvested and used in teas, jams, sauces, and beverages. The plant thrives in warm climates, making it an excellent choice for Florida gardens. The tart, cranberry-like flavor of the calyces gives Florida Cranberry its name, and it’s commonly used as a natural substitute for cranberries in recipes. The plant is also highly ornamental, with its striking red stems and dark green leaves, adding beauty to both edible and ornamental gardens.

Florida Cranberry is an amazing plant to grow in your edible landscape, especially here in Florida where it has a rich history as an original homesteaders plant.  It grows very easily without irrigation in any soil type, yielding many pounds of highly nutritious and delicious fruit.  It is virtually drought tolerant and disease resistant.  

Distinctive Features, Uses, and Nutritional Value

Calyces: The red, fleshy calyces of Florida Cranberry are the most commonly harvested part of the plant. These tart calyces are used in a variety of culinary applications, including teas (such as hibiscus tea), jams, sauces, syrups, and even as a cranberry substitute. Rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and minerals, they offer both health benefits and a deliciously tart flavor.

Foliage: The plant has large, dark green leaves with deep lobes, providing an attractive appearance in the garden. Its striking red stems and large yellow flowers with a red center make it visually appealing.

Growth Habit: Florida Cranberry is a fast-growing shrub that typically reaches 4-8 feet tall with a similar spread. It is well-suited to warm, tropical or subtropical climates and can be grown as an annual in cooler regions.

Culinary and Medicinal Uses

The tart calyces of Florida Cranberry are traditionally used in teas, including the popular hibiscus tea known for its vibrant red color and tangy flavor. They can also be made into jams, jellies, sauces, and even herbal remedies. In Caribbean and African cultures, the plant is often brewed into refreshing beverages during festive seasons. The leaves, which have a slightly tangy flavor, are also edible and can be used in salads or cooked as a green.

Florida Cranberry plants are loved for their edible leaves and succulent bright red flower calyxes. The culinary "fruit" is actually the enlarged flower calyx. It has a crisp apple-like texture and a tart cranberry-like flavor. When brewed as a tea, it has a beautiful bright red color. Florida Cranberry fruit can be aten fresh, but also dehydrated for teas and fruit leather, distilled, fermented into beer and wine and kombucha, made into juices or syrups, or used in floral arrangements, and the list goes on. Medicinally, Florida Cranberry is proven to lower blood pressure.

Plant Type:
Annual Fruiting Shrub, Medicinal Herb

Harvest Season:
Leaves: Summer through Fall
Fruit aka Flower Calyxes: Fall, early Winter

Mature Size:
Up to 4-6 ft tall and 2-4 ft wide

Soil & Moisture:
Florida Cranberry can tolerate nearly any soil condition and is somewhat drought tolerant.  It likes rich, moist, sandy, well-draining soil.

Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade.  Performs best with morning sun and afternoon shade. 

Growth Rate:
Fast, Very Fast

Zone Hardiness:
Grown annually outdoors Zones 4+

Propagation:
Our Florida Cranberry is grown from seed and capable of harvest within the growing season.
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4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
Based on 18 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 16 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 1
94%would recommend this product
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18 reviews
  • BT
    Barbara T.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Years Gardening 10+
    Grown This Variety Before? No
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    6 months ago
    Beautiful and useful!

    This is a beautiful plant! I ordered four to go around the base of our Sylvester Palm in the front yard. One of the stems broke off a week after I planted it, but flourished again with a little root growing powder. I made a yummy hibiscus syrup. I missed that these are annuals, and you have to replant each year from seed. I had saved some seeds and should have started them early. I will buy more plants this year and from now on will start them from seed myself.

    I found a great YouTube video on all the different ways to process the calyces. Wish I had found it sooner because I let a bunch go bad before I put them to use! Look for the “Farm Life with Kids” channel and search for the Roselle hibiscus processing video.

  • HJ Profile picture for Heather J.
    Heather J.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Years Gardening 5-10
    Grown This Variety Before? No
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Thrilled! So many uses

    I wish I had purchased 3 more!! We are enjoying tea and jam and the leaves are so tasty picked and eaten or added to salad. I’m still looking for the best use of the seeds- there are options!!! Really enjoy this plant and it hasn’t attracted unwanted pests of any kind! Thanks

  • S Profile picture for Sam
    Sam
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Years Gardening 10+
    Grown This Variety Before? No
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Excited to grow!

    Looks awesome and excited to watch these grow this summer!

  • C
    Caroline
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    4 months ago
    5 Stars

    Very pleased, as always!

  • J
    juan
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    5 Stars

    nice

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