"Auntie Lillis" South Sea Salad Tree
abelmoschus manihot

days to maturity: 
plant spacing: 1 plant every 4 square feet
sunlight requirements: 6-14 hours
look out for: caterpillars and aphids
harvest notes: harvest large leaves as needed
perennial

This is a newer plant to us but we had been trying to get our hands on it for years and are super excited to now have it growing at the farm & in the nursery. Manihot, also known as sunset muskmallow, sunset hibiscus or South Sea Salad Tree, is technically not a hibiscus plant but its very similar to the whole family. 

Edible hibiscus is typically used either quick cooked or raw, as its leaves can get slimy if overcooked. The leaves are tender and buttery when picked young and are delicious raw. The older leaves can get as big as a dinner plate and are better cooked because of their more fibrous nature. The leaves of hibiscus family plants are high in vitamins A & C and in iron and are known to boost the immune system, and protect the heart and liver. This plant is described as sweet and cold energetically and in Traditional Chinese Medicine it is known to act on the kidney and bladder meridians.

Aunt Lilies is a highly variegated and ornamental variety with each leaf varying with shades of green, red, and white variegation. While this plant is called a salad tree we read that its max height is about 9 feet, so its more like a salad shrub. Prune it regularly to keep the new growth low to the ground and to keep the plant nice and bushy. It propagates very easily from woody and newer stem cuttings, just stick a 6-8 inch piece into moist potting mix or a jar of water and it will root for you. If you are in a cold climate and you want to over winter your edible hibiscus plant I recommend taking some cuttings and keeping them small in pots through winter and then replanting anew in the springtime.