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Hibiscus radiatus - Cav.

Common Name Monarch Rosemallow. Ruby hibiscus, Clavelina
Family Malvaceae
USDA hardiness 9-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Not known in a truly wild situation.
Range Probably originated in the Asian tropics, but widely naturalized throughout the tropics.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Hibiscus radiatus Monarch Rosemallow. Ruby hibiscus, Clavelina


edibleplants.org
Hibiscus radiatus Monarch Rosemallow. Ruby hibiscus, Clavelina
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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of shrub
Hibiscus radiatus is an evergreen Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Canhamo braziliensis Perini Hibiscus cannabinus unidens Hochr. Hibiscus lindleyi Wall.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves
Edible Uses:

The leaves are edible[317 ].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


The plant has medicinal uses[317 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

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Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

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PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

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Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the bark is used for cordage and textiles[46 ]. Attracts Bees, Butterflies and Hummingbirds. Can be grown in containers.

Special Uses

Carbon Farming

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Industrial Crop: Fiber  Management: Coppice  Minor Global Crop

This species is often confused with H. cannabinus, but it is an allotetraploid hybrid of H. cannabinus and perhaps H. surattensis[317 ].

Carbon Farming

  • Industrial Crop: Fiber  Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
  • Management: Coppice  Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
  • Minor Global Crop  These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed. Cuttings: stem, tip and cane.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Fu she ci fu rong, Kembang sepatu merah, Monarch rosemallow

Native Range

TROPICAL ASIA: Bangladesh, India (Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal), Myanmar

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

None Known

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Hibiscus acetosellaCranberry HibiscusAnnual/Perennial1.5 9-11 MLMHNM322
Hibiscus cannabinusKenaf, Brown IndianhempAnnual/Perennial1.8 6-12 FLMHNM423
Hibiscus diversifoliusSwamp HibiscusShrub1.0 9-11  LMHNM21 
Hibiscus heterophyllusNative RosellaShrub1.8 9-11  LMHNM201
Hibiscus moscheutosSwamp Rose Mallow, Crimsoneyed rosemallow, Wild Cotton, Common Rosemallow, Eastern Rosemallow, SwampPerennial2.5 6-9 MLMHSNM12 
Hibiscus mutabilisCotton Rose, Dixie rosemallowShrub3.0 7-10  LMHNM221
Hibiscus rosa-sinensisChinese Hibiscus, Shoeblackplant, Hawaiian Hibiscus, Tropical Hibiscus, China Rose, Rose-of-China, SShrub2.5 9-11 FLMHNM333
Hibiscus sabdariffaRoselleAnnual/Perennial3.0 9-12  LMHNM332
Hibiscus sinosyriacusRose Of SharonShrub3.0 6-9 MLMHSNM423
Hibiscus syriacusRose Of Sharon, Althaea, Shrub Althea, Hardy HibiscusShrub3.0 5-9 MLMHSNM422
Hibiscus tilliaceusBeach Hibiscus, Sea HibiscusTree8.0 10-12 FLMNDMWe213
Hibiscus trionumFlower Of An HourAnnual/Perennial0.6 9-11 FLMHNDM210
Talipariti tiliaceumBeach Hibiscus, Sea Hibiscus, Cottontree, MahoeTree10.0 10-12 FLMHNMWe324

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Author

Cav.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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