Abelmoschus moschatus

Plant Characteristics

Habit		shrub
Height:	⇕	1.5 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 1.5.
Width:	⇔	1.5 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 1.5.
Lifespan:	⌛	annual
Origin:	✈	India

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun
Water:	◍	moist
Features:	✓	flowers, fragrance
USDA Zones:		1 to 11
Sunset Zones:		All

Scientific Names

Malvaceae >

Abelmoschus >

moschatus >

Abelmoschus moschatus (Abelmosk, Ambrette seeds, Annual hibiscus, Bamia Moschata, Galu Gasturi, Muskdana, Musk mallow, Musk okra, Musk seeds, Ornamental okra, Rose mallow seeds, Tropical jewel hibiscus, Yorka okra; syn. Hibiscus abelmoschus L.). Bushy plant about 1.5 ft. tall and wide. Has deep green, deeply cut leaves. Five-petaled, 3-4.5-in. flowers, come in cherry red or pink with white centers, resembling tropical hibiscus. Likes good soil, heat, and sunny location; blooms most profusely where summers are long and hot. Grow from seed sown outdoors as soon as ground is warm (or else start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting outdoors). Flowering begins 100 days after sowing, and goes on until frost or cold weather hits. Can be grown as indoors in a 6-in. pot where it gets bright light.

More information about this species can be found on the genus page.

Cultivation

Easily grown in a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position²³⁸. Tolerates a pH in the range 6 to 7.8. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to about -5°c and can be grown outdoors in the milder areas of the country²³⁸. The plant grows as a shrub in frost-free climates but is usually cut back to the ground in British winters. So long as these winters are not too cold, however, it can usually be grown as a herbaceous perennial with new shoots being produced freely from the root-stock. These flower in the summer²³⁸. It is probably wise to apply a good mulch to the roots in the autumn^k. It is best to cut back the stems to about 15cm long in the spring even if they have not been killed back by the frost²³⁸. This will ensure an abundance of new growth and plenty of flowers in the summer. The musk mallow is widely cultivated in tropical climates for its many uses²³⁸.

Propagation

Seed - sow April in a greenhouse. The seed germinates best at a temperature around 24 - 24°c²³⁸. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots of rich soil and plant them out after the last expected frosts^k. The seed can also be sown in situ in late April in areas with warm summers. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July in a frame²³⁸.

Pests and diseases

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Cultivars

There is at least one named form, selected for its ornamental value. 'Mischief' is somewhat smaller than the species, reaching a height of 50cm²³⁸.

Gallery

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References

• http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Abelmoschus+moschatus
• Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608

External links

• w:Abelmoschus moschatus. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Abelmoschus moschatus QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)