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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox

{{SPlantbox

| name = ''Abelmoschus moschatus''

|familia=Malvaceae

| common_names = Silk Flower, Musk Mallow

|genus=Abelmoschus

| growth_habit = bush

|species=moschatus

| high = 1.5 ft

|common_name=Silk Flower, Musk Mallow

| wide = 1.5 ft

|habit=shrub

| origin =     <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->

|Min ht metric=cm

| poisonous =     <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->

|Max ht box=1.5

| lifespan = Annual

|Max ht metric=ft

| exposure = Full Sun

|Max wd box=1.5

| water = Regular

|Max wd metric=ft

| features =     <!--- flowers, fragrance, naturalizes, invasive -->

|origin=India

| hardiness =     <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 40[[Fahrenheit|°F]] (5[[Celsius|°C]]), etc -->

|lifespan=annual

| bloom =     <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for it's flowers -->

|exposure=sun

| usda_zones = All

|water=moist

| sunset_zones = All

|features=flowers, fragrance

|Temp Metric=°F

| image = Upload.png  <!--- Freesia.jpg -->

|min_zone=1

| image_width = 240px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->

|max_zone=11

|sunset_zones=All

|image=Abelmoschus moschatus Blanco2.245-cropped.jpg

|image_width=180

}}

}}

[[Abelmoschus]] moschatus.  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.  

'''''[[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'' [[Carl Linnaeus|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 [[Abelmoschus|genus page]].''

:''More information about this species can be found on the [[Abelmoschus|genus page]].''

==Cultivation==

==Cultivation==

{{monthbox

Easily grown in a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position{{pfaf238}}. 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 country{{pfaf238}}. 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 summer{{pfaf238}}. It is probably wise to apply a good mulch to the roots in the autumn{{pfafK}}. 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 frost{{pfaf238}}. 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 uses{{pfaf238}}.

}}  

{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->

===Propagation===

===Propagation===

{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->

Seed - sow April in a greenhouse. The seed germinates best at a temperature around 24 - 24°c{{pfaf238}}. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots of rich soil and plant them out after the last expected frosts{{pfafK}}. The seed can also be sown in situ in late April in areas with warm summers. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July in a frame{{pfaf238}}.

===Pests and diseases===

===Pests and diseases===

==Cultivars==

==Cultivars==

<!--  This section should be renamed Cultivars if it appears on a page for a species (rather than genus), or perhaps Varieties if there is a mix of cultivars, species, hybrids, etc    -->

There is at least one named form, selected for its ornamental value. 'Mischief' is somewhat smaller than the species, reaching a height of 50cm{{pfaf238}}.

<!--  *''[[Freesia laxa]]'' (syn. ''Anomatheca laxa'', ''Lapeirousia laxa'')  -->

==Gallery==

==Gallery==

==References==

==References==

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->

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