Hemp Hibiscus/Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) - Seeds

Looks like cannabis, but is completely harmless (and flowers much more beautifully!).

20 seeds per portion.

Create astonished (and perhaps initially a little confused) looks in the neighborhood! Hemp hibiscus, also known as Kenaf, is a fantastic, incredibly fast-growing ornamental and utilitarian plant. Its leaves are remarkably similar to real hemp, but instead of illegal substances, it produces gorgeously beautiful hibiscus flowers in summer.

Growth & Appearance

• Lifespan: Mostly annual, but with enormous vigor.

• Height: Usually reaches 150 to 250 cm in our latitudes (up to 4 meters in the tropics!).

• Habit: Stiffly upright growing, strong stem. The deeply incised, palmate leaves are strikingly similar to cannabis leaves.

• Flower: From May to October (depending on sowing time), beautiful, large funnel-shaped flowers appear. They are usually pale yellow to creamy white with a striking, deep wine-red to black throat in the center. A great bee and bumblebee pasture!

Origin The exact native home is not conclusively clarified, but it is assumed to be tropical and subtropical Africa or India. There it is cultivated on a large scale as a fiber plant.

Ingredients The plant is absolutely non-toxic. The stems consist largely of extremely tear-resistant cellulose (bast fibers). The seeds contain a valuable, edible oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and oleic acid). The leaves contain vitamin C and organic acids.

Uses

• In the garden: An impressive structural plant, an extremely fast-growing (temporary) privacy screen and an exotic ornament.

• Industrial: Kenaf is one of the most important fiber plants in the world (similar to jute). The fibers are used to make ropes, sacks, insulation materials, and tree-free, ecological paper.

• Culinary: In some African and Asian countries, the young, sour-tasting leaves are cooked like spinach.

History The use of Kenaf fibers is estimated to date back over 4,000 years. During World War II, when traditional jute supplies from Asia collapsed, Kenaf cultivation experienced a massive worldwide boom as a substitute. Today, it is once again strongly in focus as a fast-growing, environmentally friendly raw material for the paper industry.

Curiosities The botanical name cannabinus literally means "hemp-like." And that's what it is: the visual resemblance to cannabis is so strong that it often leads to amusing mix-ups in gardens, and concerned neighbors sometimes peer over the fence more closely. Unlike real hemp, however, this hibiscus species has absolutely nothing to do with intoxicants.

Location, Care & other important things

• Location: Full sun and as sheltered from wind as possible (so that the tall stems do not break off).

• Soil: Deep, humic, and above all, nutrient-rich.

• Care: If you want to grow over two meters in a few months, you need water and food! Kenaf needs plenty of water on hot days and benefits from regular fertilization (or a good portion of compost when planting).

Sowing instructions: Hemp Hibiscus (Hibiscus cannabinus)

Since our summers are often a bit too short for it, it's worth pre-cultivating indoors so that it shows off its great blossoms in time.

When to sow?

• Pre-cultivation (indoors): From late March to April.

• Direct sowing (outdoors): Only from late May, when the soil has warmed up well. (However, pre-cultivation is strongly recommended!)

How to sow?

• Sowing depth: Place the seeds about 1 cm deep in seed compost and press lightly.

• Germination conditions: Moisten the soil well. Place the pots in a bright spot. Normal room temperature (ideally 18 to 22 °C) is completely sufficient for germination - so it doesn't have to be excessively hot.

• Germination time: Under good conditions, the first seedlings appear after about 3 to 10 days.

Planting out & Location

• Outdoors: Only after the Ice Saints (mid-May), when there is no longer a threat of frost.

• Planting distance: Plant the seedlings about 40 to 50 cm apart in the bed, as they form a decent root system and need space to grow upwards.

• Tip: If you are planting it as a dense privacy screen, you can also plant it a bit closer (approx. 30 cm).