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Hibiscus cannabinus
Also called Brown Indianhemp, Deccan Hemp, Indian Hemp, Java Jute, Bastard Jute, Bimli Jute, Kenaf Hibiscus
Kenaf is an annual or short-lived perennial hibiscus grown mainly as a fibre crop for rope, paper and cloth, not as a garden or houseplant. It needs a long, warm growing season and full sun.
Kenaf [etymology: Persian], Hibiscus cannabinus, is a plant in the family Malvaceae also called Deccan hemp and Java jute. Hibiscus cannabinus is in the genus Hibiscus and is native to Africa, although its exact origin is unknown. The name also applies to the fibre obtained from this plant, similar to jute.
Kenaf is cultivated for its fibre in India, Bangladesh, United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, and parts of Africa. The stems produce two types of fibre: a coarser fibre in the outer layer (bast fibre), and a finer fibre in the core. The bast fibres are used to make ropes. Kenaf matures in 100 to 200 days. First grown in Egypt over 3000 years ago, the leaves of the kenaf plant were a component of both human and animal diets, while the bast fibre was used for bags, cordage, and the sails for Egyptian boats. This crop was not introduced into southern Europe until the early 1900s. Today, while the principal farming areas are China and India, Kenaf is also grown in countries including the US, Mexico, and Senegal.
Alyogyne hakeifolia · Alyogyne huegelii · African rosemallow · Scarlet rosemallow · Desert rosemallow · Paleface · Philip Island hibiscus · Hibiscus · Heartleaf rosemallow · Muenchhusia moscheutos · Dixie rosemallow · Hibiscus paramutabilis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Kenaf 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.
