Skip to content

Gongura / Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Gongura (Hibiscus sabdariffa L. var. rubra, Malvaceae) is a 2-3 m tall annual leafy-vegetable shrub with reddish-purple stems and trumpet-shaped flowers, called pundi (Kannada), ambadi (Marathi), pulicha keerai (Tamil) and gongura (Telugu).

Key characteristics

  • Scientific Name: Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae); red leaf form rubra
  • Plant Height: 2-3 m annual shrub
  • Growing States: AP, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam
  • Soil: well-drained loamy with organic matter

Cultivation and adoption

Vikaspedia and ICAR sources document cultivation on well-drained loamy soils with organic-matter enrichment across AP, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Assam. Beyond leaves, the calyces, stem fibre and seeds have industrial and medicinal uses; the crop is valued for its iron, calcium and vitamin C content.

See also: Leafy Vegetables, Red Amaranth.

References

  1. Roselle - Vikaspedia. https://static.vikaspedia.in/media/files_en/agriculture/crop-production/package-of-practices/roselle.pdf