Hibiscus 'Acetosella'

Grow in full sun or partial shade. If too much shade it will grow long branches. Prune to maintain form.

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Acetosella is thought of as tender, so remember to wait until your soil is warm and the night time temperature is well above freezing before moving outside. Ensure your soil is potting mix and loamy and has a ph of between 6.1 and 7.8 as Hibiscus is a weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil loving plant.

Reseeds readily.

Seeds sprout easily within three days in containers. Does not require light to germinate.

Readily reseeds and is easily transplanted either to a bigger planter or to the ground. Should be protected from cold temperatures. Freezing temperatures will kill it to the ground. Mulch and it will readily come back in the spring time.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Acetosella is a tender plant.

Acetosella=sour or bitter, vinegar like²

Hibiscus acetosella is thought to have come about via hybridization between Hibiscus asper Hook.f. and Hibiscus surattensis L. secondary to their cultivation.⁴

Red leaf hibiscus, False Roselle, cranberry hibiscus, African rosemallow, maroon mallow, cranberry hibiscus, red shield hibiscus

¹ University of Flordia

² Latin Dictionary

³ http://greenharvest.com.au/Plants/Information/CranberryHibiscus.html

⁴ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_acetosella