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Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Common name: Chinese Hibiscus Family: Malvaceae
Author: L. Botanical references: 74, 200, 266
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: None known
Range: S. E. Asia.
Habitat: Not known in a truly wild situation
Edibility Rating (1-5): 2Medicinal Rating (1-5):3

Other Possible Synonyms:From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
H. rosasinensis[E]
Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Bunga Raya [E], Bussoge [E], Cayena [E], Ch'Ih Chin [E], China Rose [E], Chinese Hibiscus [H], Chu Chin [E], Cin Gulu [E], Feuilles Choublak [E], Fu Sang [E], Gumamela [E], Jih Chi [E], Khatmah Siniyah [E], Rose Of China [H,E], Ru Sang [E], Shoe-Black [E], Shoe-back-plant [B], Shoebackplant [P], Woro-wari [E],
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Malvales. Mallow family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Annamese; China; Dominican Republic; Ghana; Haiti; India(Santal); Indonesia; Iraq; Java; Kelantan; Malaysia; Mexico; Philippines; Samoa; Trinidad; Turkey

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 2.5m by 2.5m . It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Colouring; Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Young leaves are sometimes used as a spinach substitute[177, 183]. A nutritional analysis is available[218].
Flowers - raw or cooked[240]. They can also be made into a kind of pickle or used as a purple dye for colouring foods such as preserved fruits and cooked vegetables[177, 183]. A nutritional analysis is available[218].
Root - it is edible but very fibrousy[144]. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour[144].

Composition

Leaves (Dry weight)
In grammes per 100g weight of food:
Water: 0 Protein: 15.4 Fat: 3.5 Carbohydrate: 69.7 Fibre: 15.5 Ash: 11.4
In milligrammes per 100g weight of food:
Calcium: 1670 Phosphorus: 520
Source: [218]
Fruit (Dry weight)
In grammes per 100g weight of food:
Water: 0 Calories: 353 Protein: 3.9 Fat: 3.9 Carbohydrate: 86.3 Fibre: 15.7 Ash: 5.9
In milligrammes per 100g weight of food:
Calcium: 39 Phosphorus: 265 Iron: 17 Thiamine: 0.29 Riboflavin: 0.49 Niacin: 5.9 VitaminC: 39
Source: [218]
Flowers (Fresh weight)
In grammes per 100g weight of food:
Water: 89.8 Protein: 0.06 Fat: 0.4 Fibre: 1.56
In milligrammes per 100g weight of food:
Calcium: 4 Phosphorus: 27 Iron: 1.7 Thiamine: 0.03 Riboflavin: 0.05 Niacin: 0.6 VitaminC: 4.2
Source: [218]

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anodyne; Antispasmodic; Aperient; Aphrodisiac; Astringent; Demulcent; Emmenagogue; Emollient; Poultice; Refrigerant; VD.

Chinese hibiscus is a sweet, astringent, cooling herb that checks bleeding, soothes irritated tissues and relaxes spasms[238].
The flowers are aphrodisiac, demulcent, emmenagogue, emollient and refrigerant[240]. They are used internally in the treatment of excessive and painful menstruation, cystitis, venereal diseases, feverish illnesses, bronchial catarrh, coughs and to promote hair growth[238, 240]. An infusion of the flowers is given as a cooling drink to ill people[272].
The leaves are anodyne, aperient, emollient and laxative[240]. A decoction is used as a lotion in the treatment of fevers[240].
The leaves and flowers are beaten into a paste and poulticed onto cancerous swellings and mumps[218]. The flowers are used in the treatment of carbuncles, mumps, fever and sores[218].
The root is a good source of mucilage and is used as a substitute for marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) in the treatment of coughs and colds[240, 272]. A paste made from the root is used in the treament of venereal diseases[272].

Other Uses

Cosmetic; Fibre; Hedge; Polish.

The juice from the petals is used in China as shoe-blacking and mascara[238]. A dye is made from the petals[272].
A good quality fibre is obtained from the stems[74]. In warm sub-tropical areas the fibres can be up to 3 metres long, but in Britain they are likely to be much shorter. The fibre is used for coarse fabrics, nets and paper[74].
Plants are often used for hedges and screens, though since they are not very cold hardy they are not suitable for this use in Britain[200].

Cultivation details

Prefers a well-drained humus rich fertile soil in a warm, sheltered position in full sun[200, 260].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is not very frost-tolerant and needs to be grown in essentially frost-free areas. It might succeed outdoors in the very mildest areas of the country if given a very sheltered warm position. Alternatively, it might be possible to grow the plant as a tender annual by starting it off early in a warm greenhouse. If well-grown it can flower and set seed in its first year. This species grows very well in a frost-free conservatory in Northern Europe so long as it is in a sunny position and free from draughts[260].
Plants will often lose most of their leaves in cool winters, though they will normally regenerate quickly as the warmer weather returns[260].
The flowers of Chinese hibiscus are very important in Hindu devotional ceremonies, being sacred to the Elephant God, Ganesh[238]. Individual flowers are short-lived, in many modern cultivars the flowers wither after 24 hours though in many of the older cultivars they can last for 48 hours[260].
There are many named forms, selected for their ornamental value[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If growing them as annuals, plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer and protect them with a frame or cloche until they are growing away well. If hoping to grow them as perennials, then it is better to grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year and to plant them out in early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Overwinter them in a warm greenhouse and plant out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivars

'White Wings'
Its compact habit makes this form a good candidate for pot cultivation. It produces large white flowers to 15cm across and is frequently used for hedging in tropical climates[260].
'Norman Lee'
A vigorous variety of medium height, it blooms profusely producing flowers up to 20cm across[260].
'Lady Bird'
An upright form of average height, the flowers are up to 20cm across and are larger than most other cultivars[260].
'Hula Girl'
A very free-flowering form, the flowers are up to 16cm in diameter[260].
'Florida Sunset'
A compact form that grows well in containers, the flowers at 10cm in diameter are smaller than most other cultivars[260].
'Diamond Head'
A compact form, and thus suitable for pot culture, it produces double flowers about 15cm across over a long season[260].
'Cooperi'
At about 10cm across, the flowers are smaller than most cultivars, but the plant is quite compact and thus suitable for pot culture[260].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for Hibiscus rosasinensis (a possible synonym).

References for the family Malvaceae.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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