GROW ROSELLA
Try this okra cousin for the beauty of its hibiscus-like flowers and the fruit which is used to make into Jamaica tea or drinks. Best of all, use the flesh calyx and very young fruit to make a jam that makes a great cranberry sauce substitute.
You can grow rosella or Jamaica flower just like okra as it is an annual that makes an ornamental plant that is three feet high and two-to-three wide. Since it is a tropical, it loves our long, hot summers. Start it in the garden after the soil is warm and frost is well past. It requires good soil, good drainage, and lots of water, but not too much fertilizer.
Pick the fruit a day or two after the blooms fold. They should be less than an inch long. You can store them in the refrigerator until you have enough. For your sauce, grind or chop the fruit with calyx left on, add a bit of lemon juice and sugar, and cook down into a sauce.
David Gay, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas Cooperative Extension
Annual & Perennial Flowers Index
Gardening Tips For NorthEast Texas Index
East Texas Piney Woods Gardening Home Page