Rose of Sharon – Lovely to Look at and Healthy to Eat
I’ve been drinking hibiscus tea not realizing I have the same flower growing in my yard in the form of Rose of Sharon. Consuming these pretty petals can improve your health.
The beauty is more than skin deep.
Coming across information at various on line sites last year, I realized my Rose of Sharon tree had blossoms that were not only beautiful but edible. Hibiscus is also called Rose-Mallow and there are many types of trees and shrubs numbering around 200. They are further divided into annuals and perennials each bearing flowers with five petals or more (as some have triple layers of petals) .
Recipes are available.
I researched it for a friend whose dog kept eating the fallen blossoms while they were out walking and she was concerned about her dog’s health. After reassuring her of the safety of the flower I created a vegetable/chip dip out of some petals and was quite pleased with the pleasant pink color of the dip. The flower’s flavor is somewhat lemony so I added some spices and let it sit overnight in the fridge for the flavors to marinate. This gave the spices a chance to offset the strong flavor of the flower petal. In tropical climates the hibiscus flower is added to fruits and rose hips to create a delicious and healthy punch. You can find more recipes here and here.
Because the Rose of Sharon is a member of the hibiscus family it shares the same healing and nutritional claims. We have long known that hibiscus provides many health benefits.
A few of the many health benefits provided by Hibiscus:
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lowering blood pressure
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lowering cholesterol
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reducing the risk of heart disease
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helping to treat liver disease
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helps to dilate blood vessels
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works as a blood purifier
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high in Vitamin C
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contains flavonoids
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contains minerals and other nutrients
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natural diuretic
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prevents oxidation of low-density lipoproteins
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treatment for premature ejaculation – New Choices in Natural Healing by Prevention
Studies have proven the effectiveness of hibiscus to lower blood pressure.
Studies were conducted in Taiwan and reported in The Journal of the Science of Food Agriculture reporting that tea made from the hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa) effectively lowered the cholesterol levels in lab animals.
Liked it
CHAN LEE PENG | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
Sis, you have written this article with much needed info.
nobert soloria bermosa | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
it beautifies your garden and makes the gardener healthy at the same time…wonderful plant
valli | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
Beautiful flower with wonderful health benefits.
Mr Ghaz | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
wonderful! Both, the flowers and this article..well presented..enjoyed it
Michael Eboh | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
Great read. Thanks for such interesting share.
Jenny Heart | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
Love this flower and was interested to read more about it. Thanks!
BC Doan | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
Great article and full of wonderful information to learn. I’m going to pick some for tea today!
Goodselfme | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
Very interesting and helpful, healthful info.Thank you for such a nice presentation too.
Judy Sheldon | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
Chan, thanks so much for your support.
Nobert, I love the way you said that – beautify the garden and make the gardener healthy!
Valli, thanks for your support!
Mr. Ghaz, thanks for your warm support. I could not resist taking pictures & researching, and am now glad that I did.
Michael, did you change your avatar?
Thanks for the support!
Jenny, I do too and now have more reason to love it!
BC, Icy, and the price is right!
Roberta, you are welcome. I enjoy looking into natural remedies!
giftarist | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
A very useful flower. I’ve bookmarked this one for my future reference. Natural are best!
papaleng | Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
good share and a good medicinal plant. BTW, does this plant adaptable to tropical climate like ours?
Judy Sheldon | Jul 7, 2010 | Reply
Giftarist, I agree; natural IS best. Thanks for the support!
Papaleng, the hibiscus is better suited to warmer climates. I grow a particular species called Rose of Sharon which has adapted to northern weather. The hibiscus (shown with the vivid orange petals) is the tropical plant. If we grow this we must bring it inside in the colder months.
The second set of growing tips offered are for the warmer climate version. There are many species of hibiscus and I am sure there is one suited for your area.
Take care & God bless!
Likha | Jul 8, 2010 | Reply
I wonder how the name Rose of Sharon came about. Hope there was a flower named after me.
Judy Sheldon | Jul 8, 2010 | Reply
Likha, you have such a pretty avatar! I would love to see that enlarged. The tree is mentioned in Bible days in the book of Solomon.
Thank you for your comment and have a blessed day.
drelayaraja | Jul 9, 2010 | Reply
Nice share. I have had it many times… Great info.
Judy Sheldon | Jul 9, 2010 | Reply
Drelayaraja, thanks for the comment and the support. I plan to have it more often now that I know the benefits. Mine has not bloomed yet.
Aileen Tecson | Jul 14, 2010 | Reply
very informative natural remedy..
Judy Sheldon | Jul 14, 2010 | Reply
Aileen, thanks so much for your support.
Moses Ingram | Jul 22, 2010 | Reply
Thanks for this.
PARAM | Jul 26, 2010 | Reply
Great Article &&& very useful information. Thanks for sharing.
alxymy | Jul 26, 2010 | Reply
that is such a big leaf. and tiny flower, amazing.
Judy Sheldon | Jul 26, 2010 | Reply
Moses, PSingh, and Brian, thanks so much for your comments. Brian you must have looked at the first picture when the flowers were just budding. It has a much larger bloom