Abelmoschus manihot 'Auntie Lilli's'
Abelmoschus manihot 'Auntie Lilli's' is an edible salad bele tree with beautiful tri-coloured foliage and hibiscus-like flowers.
Description:
Abelmoschus manihot 'Auntie Lilli's' is an intriguing subtropical mallow relative with beautiful and edible tricoloured, variegated foliage and edible hibiscus-like flowers that are multi-coloured in pink and yellow. Said to be high in antioxidants, protein and vitamins A and K. Use the leaves and flowers raw in salads or cook the leaves like spinach. Commonly called the south sea salad bele tree and long used as a leafy vegetable in Fiji, you can literally have your salad and eat it too! Plants generally reach 3-4 feet high in northern climates but can grow taller. Enjoy in outdoor containers in part sun to part shade during the growing season and then bring indoors to overwinter. Note that stems naturally produce pearl bodies that look like shiny insect eggs but they are a natural part of the plant.
Common Name: South Sea Salad Bele Tree
Family: Malvaceae (The Mallow Family)
Zone Hardiness: 9-11
Light: Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade
Height: 4-6'
Width: 2-3'
Primary Bloom Colour: Yellow
Secondary Bloom Colour: Pink
Class: Deciduous
Type: Perennial
Bloom Time: Summer
Soil Moisture: Average
Stem Colour:
Fragrance: No
Berries:
Benefits:
Deer Resistant: Unknown
BC Native: No
Native Habitat: Wasteland and humid rocky hillsides, grasslands, near streams and margins of farmland.
Award:
Geogrpahical Origin: Asia and the Pacific - Southeast Asia
Asia and the Pacific - Australasia
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*The Plant Encyclopedia is updated each year to provide a representation of the plants we offer, have offered, and may offer again. However, it is not a live inventory of our stock. Not all plants will be available at all times or in every year. Use the link above to enquire about the availability of this plant. Additionally, we carry many plants that have not yet been entered into our database so please enquire if you don’t see what you’re looking for. Plants are available only for on-site sales at our nursery in Richmond, BC, Canada or for shipping within Canada. We do not ship internationally. However, if you are visiting the nursery from afar, we can arrange for the necessary permits and paperwork for you to take plants back with you to your country.