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Little River Cooperative

"Auntie Lillis" South Sea Salad Tree

$12.00 USD
$12.00 USD
Sale Sold out

"Auntie Lillis" South Sea Salad Tree
abelmoschus manihot

days to maturity: 
plant spacing: 1 plant every 4 square feet
sunlight requirements: 6-14 hours
look out for: caterpillars and aphids
harvest notes: harvest large leaves as needed
perennial

This is a new plant for us but its in a family of plants that we are super familiar with, the hibiscus family. We have seen this super cool ornamental edible hibiscus leaf at a few other farms over the years and have always wanted to get our hands on some and we finally secured a source for healthy plant material! Each plant is a bit different in its variegations; some are mostly green with red specks, some are mostly red with green and white variegation, but they all look super cool especially when they flower, as they make two toned hibiscus flowers. 

Edible hibiscus is typically used either quick cooked or raw, as its leaves can get slimy if overcooked. The leaves of hibiscus family plants are high in vitamins A & C and in iron. 

While this plant is called a salad tree we read that its max height is about 9 feet, so its more like a salad shrub. Prune it regularly to keep the new growth low to the ground and to keep the plant nice and bushy. 

 

Materials

All of our plants are produced using OMRI certified organic materials (potting mix, fertilizer & pesticides) however our nursery is not certified organic. Plants are shipped in compostable peat moss pots and we use heirloom & organic seeds whenever possible.

Shipping & Returns

We ship plant orders every Monday. Due to the nature of shipping plants we only offer expedited shipping for our live plant orders. Our returns & exchanges policy is also quite strict since its hard to control the quality of a plant once it leaves our facility, however we do our very best to make sure that each and every customer is satisfied with their plants. Read more about our policies here. 

Size

All of our plants are potted in 4" pots and their foliage size varies based on how large the plant is naturally when its root ball is the correct size for the pot. If a plant is too tall for our shipping box we may prune it to fit (bonus: many plants do better after being pruned since they make bushier growth). We do our very best to ship all of our plants in the "sweet spot" of maturity however so long as the roots have colonized the pot we will consider a plant mature enough to ship.

Care Instructions

When you receive your plant its critical to get it out of its box and into the light the day it arrives. It will also want to be removed from its compostable plastic wrapping and given fresh water to drink. Keep in mind, this plant was grown in the tropical humid climate of South Florida, so if it's terribly cold or dry where you are it'll need to be hardened off before planting outdoors. Visit our care instructions page for more thorough info about caring for your new plant friend.

  • What Our Customers Have to Say:

    This is a great, local organization with really knowledgeable & friendly staff. They make gardening easy and accessible, and I've purchased many high quality plants and equipment from them.
    -Kate Black (5 star google review)

  • And Another One:

    How lucky we are to have a resource like Little River Cooperative here in Miami, not only for the access they offer to a great selection of plants and produce, but also for the knowledge they provide and the sense of community they foster!
    -Nick Vagnoni (5 star google review)