Sudanese rose: a vibrant beauty with healing properties
Content
Feature and Description
The Sudanese rose has been known since ancient Egypt, when healers began to use the plant in their medicinal recipes. In those days, it was believed that a wonderful flower is able to cope with any disease, and even now Muslims deeply revere the rose and associate the number of its petals, and there are five of them, with religious commandments. Most of us know about the use of the Sudanese rose only that sweet and sour aromatic tea or broth is prepared from its petals. But in countries where rose cultivation is widely practiced, its application is much wider - delicious desserts (jams, jellies), drinks are prepared from it, and young stems are added to salads and main dishes.
Hibiscus sabdariffa is a herbaceous shrub that, in natural conditions, reaches a height of 3-3.5 meters. The crown is branched, the root system is very deep. Young stems are green, with a slight reddish tinge; as they age, they are covered with a thin gray bark. The leaves are slightly rough, serrated along the edges, pointed in the upper part of the crown, oval in the lower part. The flowers are large (up to 6 cm in diameter), bright, dark red, attached to the stem with a short pedicel. The petals are thick, the flower calyx is juicy and fleshy - it contains most of the nutrients.
The Sudanese rose is very thermophilic, demanding on moisture and sunlight, however, direct sunlight is harmful to it.
But also the shrub does not tolerate drafts and temperature changes - under their influence, it begins to shed flowers, and if measures are not taken in time, then foliage may also fall off. The average comfortable temperature for a plant is + 20 ° C, and in winter the degree should not fall below + 15 ° C, and the summer temperature should not be higher than + 25 ° C.
From a lack of moisture, the tips of the leaves dry out, so the crown must be sprayed periodically. During the period of active growth, the rose needs to be fed with liquid fertilizers for flowers.
Video "Description"
From the video you will find out what this unusual flower is.
Seed propagation technology
Reproduction of the Sudanese rose is carried out in two ways: cuttings and seeds. Growing a flower from seeds is easier, since it is less laborious, and besides, the seeds of the Sudanese rose have excellent germination for 5-6 years. Seed material can be purchased in specialized stores, but the easiest way to look for them is in hibiscus tea bags. 
Planting seeds in pots or greenhouses is done as follows:
- for the purpose of disinfection, the planting material is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 0.5-1 hour;
- then it is thoroughly washed under running water, after which it is soaked in a growth stimulator - you can moisten the tissue with the agent and put seeds there for germination;
- when sprouts begin to appear (for 3-4 days), the seeds are sown in separate containers - pots, if growing at home, in disposable pots - if in open ground or in a greenhouse.
The Sudanese rose is demanding on the soil. She needs a special soil mixture that has high drainage properties and at the same time is quite fertile. You can buy a ready-made substrate for ornamental shrubs at a flower shop. You can prepare the soil yourself from sand (base), peat, horse soil and humus. It is recommended to add a little wood ash as a fertilizer.
Features of planting cuttings
Growing from a cutting allows you to preserve the decorative varietal characteristics of the plant. There is nothing difficult in propagating a Sudanese rose in this way, if you follow certain rules of agricultural technology, which are as follows:
- cuttings are cut from young annual shoots - it is allowed to use the apical shoots left after pruning;
- the right time for rooting cuttings is spring or mid-summer (so that the shoots can take root before the cold weather);
- if the cuttings are cut from the bush, then the lower cut should be located 0.5-1 cm below the bud;
- the optimal length of cuttings is 10-15 cm in the presence of 3-4 viable buds;
- the day before planting, the cuttings must be placed in the lower part in a solution that stimulates root germination (Heteroauxin, Kornevin);
- then plant the planting material in a moist substrate based on sand and peat with the addition of a small amount of leaf soil and humus;
- to create a favorable microclimate, the planted cuttings must be covered with a transparent material (jar, cut plastic bottle).
Rooting of cuttings in the soil occurs within 1-1.5 months. All this time, they need to be provided with proper care and create optimal conditions for their development:
- maintain the temperature at + 18-25 ° C (depending on the season);
- make sure that the substrate is always moist and does not dry out;
- periodically inspect the cuttings, and remove diseased or rotten ones in a timely manner.
When the cuttings take root and the buds grow, it is recommended to pinch off the tops - this procedure promotes the branching of the seedling.
About the benefits of tea
The flowers of the Sudanese rose, used for Hibiscus tea, contain a huge set of biologically active compounds necessary for the body, which endow the drink with healing power.
In Arab countries, tea is drunk daily hot or cold, and as you know, these people have excellent health and longevity.
It is not possible to describe in detail the entire chemical composition of the plant, therefore, we will focus on the main components that have the most important effect on the human body:
- fruit and organic acids: malic, tartaric, citric, hibiscus (present only in plants of this genus) - cleanse blood vessels, fill cells with energy;
- phenolcarboxylic acids (over a dozen) - strengthen the immune system, support all systems and organs;
- micro and macro elements: manganese, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, selenium;
- anthocyanins (pigment substances that provide the red color of flowers) - strengthen and cleanse the walls of blood vessels;
- flavonoids and antioxidants - have an antibacterial effect, restore cells, cleanse the body of harmful substances;
- vitamin C - enhances immunity, improves general condition;
- polysaccharides, pectins.
Regular consumption of Hibiscus tea can achieve great health or solve the following health problems:
- cleanse the body of carcinogens, and thereby stop and prevent the development of oncological diseases;
- reduce the risk of developing pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, get rid of heartburn, stomach cramps, chronic constipation;
- improve immunity, recover from severe and long-term illnesses;
- restore the elasticity of blood vessels, normalize cholesterol levels;
- reduce the temperature for colds and other diseases;
- support the cardiovascular system;
- get rid of some pathologies of the urinary system;
- facilitate the course of diabetes mellitus;
- normalize blood pressure with hypertension;
- to reduce the frequency of relapses in psoriasis, eczema and other skin diseases.
But it should also be borne in mind that the Sudanese rose in the form of tea is not useful for everyone. Do not get carried away with the use of "Hibiscus" hypotonic, as the drink can further lower blood pressure. Allergy sufferers need to be careful about starting the drink with small doses. And it is also not recommended to drink tea for gastritis and increased acidity of the stomach, as the drink will only worsen the condition.
Video "The benefits and harms of tea"
From the video you will learn how this drink is useful and harmful.