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Hibiscus
There are over a 200 kinds of hibiscus. They grow all over the world.
They have been associated with the Goddess as the Rose of Sharon
variety. They have a long history. Not surprising as they are beautiful
and used for many medicinal purposes.
If your hibiscus has dull medium green heart shaped leaves, dinner plate
sized white, pink or red flowers with HUGE, bomb shaped buds (2-4" in
length!), it is a perennial, hardy hibiscus.
('Age of Aquarias' - Unique
Hibiscus)
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Hibiscus - Aquarian - PPAF
The Hibiscus 'Aquarian', is one of the most unique Hibiscus in the Fleming series. It has wonderful 12" lavender pink flowers with spoon-shaped, purple casted leaves.
It is one of the shorter Hibiscus, standing 3' in height. The Flemings names this Hibiscus after the song 'Age of Aquarias'.
It is best to plant this Hibiscus in a full sun area and it will tolerate most soil types.
'Aquarian' looks wonderful with grasses, as a background plant or with Hibiscus 'Old Yella' and Hibiscus 'Torchy'. (PPAF)
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Hardy hibiscus need very little care over the winter, they are root
hardy to about zone 5 with no protection. They die to the ground each
year. Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), also known as roselle, is a
flowering shrub in the plant family of Malvaceae and is the commonly
used species of hibiscus for tea.
The calyces are used to make cold and
hot beverages in many of the world's tropical and subtropical countries.
The calyces (or
calyxes) are used which are the outer portion of the flower bud.
The
calyces are often referred to as hibiscus flowers in recipes and tea
blends. It is also a great contribution to the popular rosehip tea
giving it a lemony flavor and lovely red color. The
aroma and taste of Hibiscus is slightly of berry-like aroma. It has a
well balanced, tart and astringent flavor.
Hibiscus were once called shoe-black, "indicating the use of its flowers
by tropical bootblacks, to polish shoes." (Taylor's Encyclopedia of
Gardening, 1961)
This was the single reliable reference to this use the
author could discover. Nor could this author allow such a claim to stand
without attempting experimentation. One red flower (five petals removed
from calyx, stamens, and pistil) did one shoe.
The red petals became liquefied and slimy under pressure against the leather. The liquid dried
and could be buffed within minutes. The right shoe of an old pair of
black business shoes now appears much shinier than its 'sinister'
counterpart. The tips of the thumb, index, and middle finger of my right
hand were also a dark purple until liquid detergent and a brush were
applied. Medicinal Uses
Medicinally, leaves are emollient, and are much used in Guinea as a
diuretic, refrigerant, and sedative; fruits are antiscorbutic; leaves,
seeds, and ripe calyces are diuretic and
antiscorbutic; and the succulent calyx, boiled in water, is used as a
drink in bilious attacks.
The leaves and powdered seeds are eaten in
West Africa. Philippines use the bitter root as an aperitif and tonic.
Angolans use the mucilaginous leaves as an
emollient and as a soothing cough remedy.
Hibiscus flower extract has been used in many folk remedies for liver
disorders and high blood pressure. Hibiscus - Relieves stomach problems,
sweetens breath and soothes nerves. Said to be an aphrodisiac.
Cholesterol / Heart Disease - a study at the Chung Shan University in
Taiwan involving rats on high cholesterol diets demonstrated that an
extract of the hibiscus flower significantly lowered cholesterol content
in blood serum
and prevented oxidation of LDL, "bad", cholesterol.
Experiments have
shown that compounds extracted from red wine and tea reduce cholesterol
and lipid build-up in the arteries of rats. This is the first study to show that Hibiscus extract has the same
effect."
Dr. Chau-Jong Wang, lead researcher
Hypertension - in one study individuals with hypertension were given
hibiscus tea once daily for 12 days. Members of the control group
lowered their blood pressure by 11% versus 4% for the control group.
Liver Disorder - hibiscus is thought to help with liver disorders,
though no studies to this effect have been done. It act as an
antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, cholagogue,
demulcent, digestive, diuretic, emollient, purgative, refrigerant,
resolvent, sedative, stomachic, and tonic.
Roselle is a folk remedy for abscesses, bilious conditions, cancer,
cough, debility, dyspepsia, dysuria, fever, hangover, heart ailments,
hypertension, neurosis, scurvy, and strangury.
Uses include an
aphrodisiac; soothes nerves; antispasmodic; itchy skin; stomach
problems; sweeten breath; attract love/lust; divination; dreams. Bunga
Raya, is known for its medicinal properties.
The roots of the plant are
used as a cure for fever
and other ailments, while the juice obtained from the leaves and roots
is said to be effective in relieving skin eruptions and glandular
troubles. Also, the petals were commonly used as cosmetics to darken and
highlight women's eyebrows.
Rose of Sharon was not so much a specific earthly flower as it was a
symbol of the Perfect Bride, & the Perfect Bride symbolized the
fruitfulness & beauty of the Earth (or
Earth mother) when She was at peace & in harmony with God.
"Sharon"
means "Fruitful," a word that Torah associates with good pasturage for
sheep.
Author: Judi Singleton
About the author:
If you like this article Judi Singleton writes ten blogs a week
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http://www.motherearthpublishing.com for a list of her blogs
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