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Hibiscus acetosella
In Singapore: False Roselle, Rose Mallow, Red-Leaf Hibiscus, Cranberry Hibiscus (Grown in Singapore)
Hibiscus acetosella is a perennial hibiscus with dark maroon, deeply lobed foliage and maroon flowers, often grown as an ornamental. It likes warmth, sun and steady moisture, and is easy to root from cuttings.
Hibiscus acetosella, the cranberry hibiscus or African rosemallow, is a flowering plant of the family Malvaceae. The epithet acetosella is of Latin origin and is a diminutive of the Latin name for sorrel which comes from the sour taste experienced when eating the young leaves of both plants. Hibiscus acetosella is also known colloquially as false roselle, maroon mallow, red leaved hibiscus, and red shield hibiscus. It is one of the approximately 200–300 species that are seen in sub-tropic and tropic regions. This ornamental is usually found in abandoned fields or open areas, marshes, and forest clearings. Cranberry hibiscus is a member of a perennial group known as hardy hibiscus. In contrast to the tropical hibiscus, hardy hibiscus can tolerate colder conditions, are more vigorous, longer lasting, and have larger flowers.
Seeds germinate easily within 3–4 days in a container but tend to grow rapidly. Light is not required for germination. Cranberry hibiscus propagates well with cuttings, which will take root in soil or water. The plant can be maintained in an oval form by pinching or cutting it back during the summer. Otherwise, it will have one dominant stem.
Alyogyne hakeifolia · Alyogyne huegelii · Kenaf · Scarlet rosemallow · Desert rosemallow · Paleface · Philip Island hibiscus · Hibiscus · Heartleaf rosemallow · Muenchhusia moscheutos · Dixie rosemallow · Hibiscus paramutabilis
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hibiscus acetosella by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
