Plant rosella

It’s the plant’s vibrant, red, fleshy calyces – which are high in vitamin C – that give this sought-after spread its special colour and tartness. The calyces of rosella are also used to flavour syrups, sauces and herbal teas, and the young leaves can be eaten as a spinach substitute, steamed or stir-fried.

The rosella is an annual herbaceous shrub that grows 1.5–2m high. It’s an attractive plant with lobed leaves, pale yellow hibiscus flowers and, of course, multiple bright red calyces that develop after the flowers drop.

These highly productive plants thrive in the heat and, once they get going, require very little attention other than a good drink when it’s dry. Give them a well-drained spot in full sun, add a shovel or two of compost to the hole when planting, and mulch well to help keep the soil moist. You can expect the first harvest three months after planting, and the plants will continue cropping until conditions are too cold.

Seedlings are often available at this time of year. If you’re planting in rows, space seedlings 50–60cm apart to give them room to grow. Three to four seedlings will provide a nice return and, planted together, will also form a useful summer hedge for protecting neighbouring plants in the patch from hot northerly or westerly winds.

Rosella plants are easy to raise from seed, too, sown 1cm deep in pots or directly in the ground. Sow 2–3 seeds per hole, keep them moist until they germinate, then thin excess seedlings, leaving the strongest plants behind to develop.

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Rosella