Doc's North Florida Roselle

This special roselle produces earlier than Jamaican Roselle and has heavier calyxes than Thai Roselle. This population originally came from an avid gardener and high school basketball coach named Doc, who had been growing it for a couple of decades after crossing these two varieties and then selecting desired traits for his community. Frog Song Organics has been growing it for another seven years and continues to select the best plants.

Also known as Florida Cranberry, Sorrel, and Lemon Bush, the sour calyxes of this plant (the red fleshy part that follows the flower) can be used to make a red sweet and spiced beverage called sorrel or a jelly like cranberry sauce.

These seeds are treated with Sanidate, an OMRI (organic) approved organic sanitizer and disinfectant to keep from spreading fungus.

Photos by Frog Song Organics.

Days to maturity: 70-90

Seeds per pack: 35-45

Germination rate: 82% on 03/29/2024

Planting / harvesting notes

Sow seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost in order to get a head start on the season. Plant in loose soil and keep well watered. Harvest individual leaves as soon as the plant reaches 18" tall and leave at least a few inches of stem on the plant. Harvest every 4 weeks or so to allow the plant to regrow.

Seed keeping notes

Roselle seeds are harvested when the flower has faded and dried, usually after at least 10 days from first blooming. You should find dried seeds inside the dried calyx. Snip the stem with scissors, remove the seed pod, loosen the seeds, and allow them to dry completely before storage.

Collections