On the last day of class I gave everyone a Roselle or Rosa de Jamiaca (Hibiscus sabdariffa) plant. By now the plants should have grown tall and be flowering. The question now is, what do I do with my plant?
Hibiscus sabdariffa has many different uses, including being used to make hibiscus tea. Below I outline how to harvest the ripe caylyces.
The flower of Hibiscus sabdariffa.
Once the flowers fade, a fruit begins to develop inside the scarlet calyx.
Devloping fruits.
Ripe fruit, approximately 10 days after flowering.
Once the fruits ripen, roughly 10 days after flowering, harvet the fruits by picking them from the plant.
Next, remove the caylx to reveal the green capsule inside.
Left to right: removed calyx. Capsule.
Once the calyx has been removed it should be washed. The calyx can be used fresh or dried for use later.
Freshly dried Hibiscus sabdariffa.