Hi, my lovelies and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been talking a lot about all my favourite magickal herbs and plants, like this post about the magickal properties of lemons, another about pine, one about garlic and another post about the magickal properties of dandelion. I’ve also shared a botanical witchipedia for an overview of a whole lot of plants and herbs. Today I want to continue down this path by sharing my guide to the magickal properties of hibiscus.
Hibiscus is the ultimate flower of passion. Its other magickal properties include love, divination, freedom and many more. It’s been used medicinally to lower blood pressure and boost liver health, as well as being a common ceremonial tea in many cultures.
Disclaimer: Any medicinal benefits given here are a product of my own research and as such should not be taken over the advice of trained medical professionals. If you are ill, please go and see a doctor. Always make sure that anything you consume is 100% safe. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor or midwife before consuming something you haven’t tried before.
If you enjoy learning about plants and herbs, check out this plant magick grimoire Amythest created! It’s gorgeously illustrated and is a wonderful companion for a blossoming green witch. The best bit? We’ve made it available as a digital download so it’s available instantly after purchase! Check it out below…
History of Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae family. There are a few hundred different species of hibiscus which grow in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates all over the world. This genus of plants has both annual and perennial plants, along with small trees and shrubs.
No one is quite sure where exactly hibiscus originated. There are 8 different species which are thought to be the forefathers of the modern hibiscus. These 8 species are native to Mauritius, Madagascar, Fiji, Hawaii and either India or China. These 8 original species have been hybridized into hundreds of other species.
The first mention of hibiscus is from around 295BCE when a Chinese author mentioned growing it. Although it was grown widely in China, it didn’t make it to Europe particularly early, probably due to the travel restrictions placed on Europeans by China during the 1300s. These lasted all the way through to 1860. It’s possible European visitors never even saw hibiscus when they were in China so couldn’t bring back any plants. It’s thought that hibiscus was brought to Europe in the 1700s by explorers who travelled down the silk road. Carl Linnaeus was the first person to name it hibiscus when he wrote his famous book “Species Plantarum”.
Beyond this short history, not much has been written about hibiscus. I presume that this is because it wasn’t growing in the US or Europe until the 1700s so wasn’t something that would have been mentioned often in older texts.
Fun Facts about Hibiscus
- Also known as rose mellow, hardy hibiscus, rose of sharon and tropical hibiscus.
- Hibiscus has a history of being a religious symbol. It’s the flower of the Hindu Goddess Kali and she is often pictured merging into a hibiscus flower. It’s common to offer hibiscus flowers to both her and Lord Ganesha during worship.
- Hibiscus can symbolise the relationship status of a woman in Tahiti and Hawaii. If worn on behind the left ear the woman isn’t available for a relationship, and if worn on the right she is single or open to a new relationship.
- Yellow hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii.
- Hibiscus juices can be used to blow bubbles, this works particularly well when combined with soap.
- Hibiscus is the national symbol of Haiti and the national flower of Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Niue.
- A species of hibiscus, Hibiscus cannabinus, is often used to make paper.
- The inner bark of Hibiscus tiliaceus is used in Polynesia to make rope and the wood is used to make canoes.
- Hibiscus is a common tea which is consumed hot and cold all over the world.
- While most flowers don’t have strong enough pigments to dye cloth or else fade very quickly, hibiscus can be used to make a very stable, rich red dye.
- Hummingbirds like to feed from hibiscus flowers
- Hibiscus if regularly used in Ayurvedic medicine.
Medicinal Benefits of Hibiscus
The medicinal benefits of hibiscus are most commonly attributed to drinking hibiscus tea. It can be drunk both hot and cold and tastes similar to cranberry juice. The most common species used to make tea is hibiscus sabdariffa. Please note that while hibiscus is safe to consume in smallish amounts, it can interact with certain medications so always let your doctor know if you plan to drink hibiscus tea. In large dose, hibiscus extract can potentially cause liver…
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