JungleSeeds

A spectacular annual shrub like plant best treated as an annual in the UK. Huge 6” hibiscus like yellow blooms with a maroon central blotch. They do need heat to get going but a 6ft Abelmoschus plant with side shoots covered in these gorgeous blooms is achievable in a single season from seed. Very fast growing in heat, the large, attractive leaves can be used in salads, stir-fries, soups or other dishes.  A single leaf can cover a slice of bread in a sandwich and is used like lettuce.  The leaves are tender when raw but turn slimy if overcooked.  They are very high in nutrition.

The Musk Mallow can be easily grown in a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position. They will tolerate temperatures down to about -5°c and can be grown outdoors in the milder areas of the country. The plant grows as a shrub in frost-free climates reaching 5 to 6ft. Pretty pink or red flowers 3” to 4” across.

A cultivated dwarf form of Abelmoschus used for unusual bedding in a warm, sunny position. They form neat exotic spreading bushes 12” to 18” of deep green foliage covered with numerous white-centred, orange-scarlet or light pink, Hibiscus-like blooms, each 3 to 4 inches across.

A specimen flowering shrub from tropical Africa to 5ft with striking burgundy/black maple like foliage.  Blooms late in the season though, so best grown outside in a warm position for the foliage and then brought inside for its late Autumn carmine flowers.

An unusual member of the hibiscus family grown for cash crop paper making. They germinate in 24 hours in heat and can reach 18ft tall in 9 months of growth, but more likely 6ft to 8ft in a UK Summer. Useful for a fast growing foliage plant in a tropical border with pale lemon yellow flowers. We have a new strain now with palmate leaves and larger 4” flowers.

Another outstanding seed grown hardy Hibiscus.  Blossoms up to 9” in diameter in white, deep red and pink mostly with red centres June-Oct. Strong, very upright habit growing to 3ft when established and frost hardy to -10°C. These hibiscus die back to the ground each year and the old growth is best pruned as new shoots emerge from the base in spring.

Now here is an interesting one for you to try out in a tropical border. A large flowered Hibiscus able to take between -5°C to -10°C. It comes from the swamps of Florida, but it survived our frost pocket  at -12°C although not growing to flowering size until the following year. I now over winter them indoors and then use the plants for tropical bedding rewarding me with huge red flowers on 6ft plants worthy of any tropical island. Pretty delicate light green hemp type foliage.

An outstanding seed grown Hibiscus featured on our front cover, very large flowering mixture of Rose Mallow with exceptional colour display. Blossoms up to 10” in diameter of clear colours from white to deep red and all shades in between mostly with red centres June-Oct. Strong, very upright habit growing to 4ft and frost hardy to -10°C when established, we were totally overawed by them in our seed trials.

Fabulous large flowers on small shrubs that abound all over the tropics. One of these flowers in a native girl’s hair is perhaps one of the most thought of images to conjure up an Island paradise. We have found an excellent South Seas source of crossed hybrid seed for you to try out with a good colour range, but you will need a warm heated greenhouse or conservatory to grow these successfully. Hibiscus sinensis does not come true from seed but the following pictures represent the colour ranges you may achieve from the parent hybrids.

Originally native from India to Malaysia, H. sabdariffa, also known as ‘Red Sorell’, is now widely distributed and cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions round the globe. The attractive red or purple seed pods are edible and have an invigorating, astringent flavour. In the Caribbean, the calyx-covered fruits are brewed in water to make a refreshing, cranberry-coloured tea. They are also used in salads, jellies (such as Jamaica’s famous rosella jam), sauces, soups, beverages, chutneys, pickles, tarts, puddings, syrups, and wine. Powdered dried red sorrel is added to commercial herb teas such as Red Zinger for flavour and colour.

A hardy deciduous shrub to 10 feet tall (3 m) that can be trained to have a single trunk. Alternate, coarsely toothed, smooth leaves, often with 3 lobes, up to 3 inches long. 3" flowers cover the shrub in late summer creating a fantastic display of colour. Slow growing and expensive to buy as plants. The colours will vary from white, red or blue in our Jungle Seed Mix.

Germination -- Easy ■ Moderate ■ and Challenging ■

Backlog for Fresh Seed ♦

Hardiness - To -5°C җ To -10°C җҗ Fully Hardy җҗҗ

Needs Shady Position ☻ Sunny Position ☻ Water Loving ♥