Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern 1896, commonly called Red Leaf Hibiscus, African Rosemallow, False Roselle, Cranberry Hibiscus, Maple Sugar, Red Hibiscus or Cranberry Shield is a tropical plant, native to East and Central Africa.

Nowadays the red leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella), with its stunning, red maple-like leaves is widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical countries in the world, especially, Central- and South America and Asia. The dark maroon colored flowers, easily confused with Hibiscus furcellatus, which has a green foliage, open just for day. We had to get up early, whilst the beautiful flower opens shortly after sunrise and start to close at about 10 o`clock AM already. Flowers, whilst fully open, get a size of about 6-7 cm in diameter. Flowering period: late Autumn - Winter. Hibiscus acetosella is mostly cultivated for its attractive red leaves, which are also edible. Leaves and flowers are used raw for salads or cooked as an ingredient for stir-fries, stews and soups and are a good source of vitamin C.

The red leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella) belongs to the mallow family (Malvaceae) and is a close relative to Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). As we found the tropical plant a few days ago at the plant market
(Talad Kamthieng) in our home city Chiang Mai, North Thailand, we thought it might by a Roselle cultivar, as the flower buds look similar. Mature plants form bushes with heights up to about 1 meter and the beautiful red foliage contrasts with other green-leafed plants in a very pleasant way. Unfortunatly Hibiscus acetosella is as prone to pest insects, like mealybugs, spider mites, greenflies and whiteflies, as other members of the Malvaceae family.

Flower Photography © Orchids Flowers.com
Image: Red Leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella)