Landscaping Many species are grown for their showy
flowers or used as landscape
shrubs, and are used to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Hibiscus is a very hardy, versatile plant and in tropical conditions it can enhance the beauty of any garden. Being versatile it adapts itself easily to balcony gardens in crammed urban spaces and can be easily grown in pots as a creeper or even in hanging pots. It is a perennial and flowers throughout the year. As it comes in a variety of colors, it's a plant which can add vibrancy to any garden. The only infestation that gardeners need to be vigilant about is
mealybugs. Mealybug infestations are easy to spot as they are clearly visible as a distinct white cottony infestation on buds, leaves or even stems.
Paper One species of
Hibiscus, known as
kenaf (
Hibiscus cannabinus), is extensively used in
paper-making.
Rope and construction The inner bark of the sea hibiscus (
Hibiscus tiliaceus), also called 'hau', is used in Polynesia for making rope, and the wood for making canoe floats. The ropes on the missionary ship
Messenger of Peace were made of fibres from hibiscus trees.
Beverage The tea made of the
calyces of
Hibiscus sabdariffa is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its red colour, tartness and unique flavour. Additionally, it is highly nutritious because of its vitamin C content. It is known as
bissap in West Africa, "Gul e Khatmi" in Urdu & Persian,
agua de jamaica in Mexico and Central America (the flower being
flor de jamaica) and
Orhul in India. Some refer to it as
roselle, a common name for the hibiscus flower. In
Jamaica,
Trinidad and many other islands in the Caribbean, the drink is known as
sorrel (
Hibiscus sabdariffa; not to be confused with
Rumex acetosa, a species sharing the common name
sorrel). In Ghana, the drink is known as
sobolo. In Egypt and Sudan, hibiscus tea is known as
karkadé (), and is served as both a hot and a cold drink.
Food Dried hibiscus is edible, and it is often a delicacy in Mexico. It can also be candied and used as a garnish, usually for desserts. Contrary to
popular assumptions that the flowers or petals are what is being eaten, it is the
calyces. The
roselle (
Hibiscus sabdariffa) is used as a
vegetable. The species
Hibiscus suratensis Linn synonymous with
Hibiscus aculeatus G. Don is noted in
Visayas in the Philippines as being a souring ingredient for almost all local vegetables and menus. Known as labog in the Visayan area (or labuag/sapinit in Tagalog), the species is an ingredient in cooking native chicken soup.
Hibiscus species are used as food plants by the
larvae of some
lepidopteran species, including
Chionodes hibiscella,
Hypercompe hambletoni, the
nutmeg moth, and the
turnip moth.
Folk medicine Hibiscus ×
rosa-sinensis is described as having a number of medical uses in
Indian Ayurveda.
Claimed effects on blood pressure It has been claimed that sour teas derived from
Hibiscus sabdariffa may lower blood pressure.
Precautions and contraindications Pregnancy and lactation While the mechanism is not well understood, previous animal studies have demonstrated both an inhibitory effect of
H. sabdariffa on
muscle tone and the anti-fertility effects of
H. ×
rosa-sinensis, respectively. The extract of
H. sabdariffa has been shown to stimulate contraction of the rat bladder and uterus; Due to the documented adverse effects in animal studies and the reported pharmacological properties, the
H. sabdariffa and
H. ×
rosa-sinensis are not recommended for use during
pregnancy. Additionally, co-administration of Karkade (
H. sabdariffa), a common Sudanese beverage, was found to reduce chloroquine
bioavailability. However, no statistically significant changes were observed in the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen when administered with the Zobo (
H. sabdariffa) drink. Further studies are needed to demonstrate clinical significance. == Symbolism and culture ==