Tiny flower hibiscus

• Sow in situ or in containers; germination is usually fairly quick with no special pre-treatment needed, though abrading or soaking the seed first speeds things up.
• Prick container-grown seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle, and plant out once they reach 10cm or taller.
• Half-ripe wood cuttings, taken at an angle through a node and treated with rooting hormone, generally strike readily in a cold frame.

• Leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, and are diuretic, fever-reducing, and stomach-settling.
• They're also used to treat ear problems and venomous bites and stings.
• Root is used for lung problems, stomach trouble, and venereal disease.
• Both peeled and unpeeled twigs work well as chewing sticks for dental hygiene, and are best left unpeeled since the bark itself carries antimicrobial compounds.
• A fibre is also obtained from the stems.

These uses are documented for information only and are not medical advice. Always verify the species and the plant part before use.

• indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in
• plantuse.org