Beach Hibiscus, Sea Hibiscus
Hibiscus tilliaceus

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

Suited to coastal environments as it tolerates salinity and waterlogging. Carbon Farming Solutions - Industrial Crop: biomass, fiber. Agroforestry Services: living fence, crop shade, living trellis.

Hibiscus tilliaceus is an evergreen Tree growing to 8 m (26ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry moist or wet soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 8

Where it is found

Coastal swamps; edges of mangrove swamps

Origin: Pantropical. native to coastal areas of Australia, South East Asia and the South Pacific

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Eastern and Northern Australia, Oceania, Maldives, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Naturalized in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Possibly native to Hawaii.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Young leaves and green bark eaten as a famine food. Leaves are eaten, femented into a sauce, used as a substrate for tempeh starter culture or boiled in salt water to form a beverage called Onge tea . The flowers can be eaten as a potherb or dipped in batter and fried .

Medicine

Rating: 1

Flowers have laxative properties.

Other

Rating: 3

Design: Seaside; Coastal screening; Shade tree; Coastal street tree; Low maintenance garden, Container growing, Flower garden, Sand stabilization; Xerophytic, Bonsai,. Polynesians have used the wood for outriggers and canoes. Green bark used for dance skirts, strainers for liquids, and for tapa bark cloth. Used for rope and fishing nets. A soft, heavy and porous wood used for fuel and net floats or corks. Living posts with cropping potential for the bark. Hedging. Beach erosion. Coastal rehabilitation. Carbon Farming Solutions - Industrial Crop: biomass, fiber (Crops grown for non-food uses. Industrial crops provide resources in three main categories: materials, chemicals, and energy. Traditional materials include lumber and thatch, paper and cardboard, and textiles). Agroforestry Services: living fence, crop shade, living trellis.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living trellis: Plants to physically support other crops.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living trellis: Plants to physically support other crops.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Climate: subtropical to tropical. Humidity: humid. Sea Hibiscus is suited to coastal environments. It tolerates salinity and waterlogging, and can grow in a variety of coastal sands and soils. pH Level: Acid, Neutral, Alkaline. Soil Type: Sandy, Loamy, Sandy loam. Light: Sunny, Light shade. Soil Moisture: Well-drained, Moist soil. Tolerates light frost. Found at elevations from sea level to 800m (2,600ft) in areas that receive 900–2,500mm (35–98in) of annual rainfall. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: minor global crop. Management: coppice (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation).

Propagating it: Seeds. Large cuttings

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Cotton Tree, Native Rosella

Synonyms

Hibiscus boninensis Nakai. Hibiscus tiliifolius Salisb. Hibiscus circinnatus Willd.Hibiscus porophyllus Vell. Hibiscus tortuosus Roxb. Pariti boninense (Nakai) Nakai. Pariti tiliaceum (L.) A. St.-Hil. Paritium abutiloides (Willd.) G. Don. Paritium tiliaceum (L.) A. Juss.