Heather Kirk-ballard • Special To East Carroll
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
With several hundred types of hibiscus, one could write a book on this plant alone — and many have done so. The name hibiscus gets its origins from the ancient Greek word “hibiskos,” which means marsh mallow or white mallow. Greek physician Dioscorides, who served in the Roman army, is credited with giving the plant this name. Dioscorides also was a botanist and pharmacologist, as many ancient experts wore several hats in those days. Before the wide use of chemically synthesized pharmaceuticals,physicians had to utilize natural compounds mainly derived from plants. It was not until the early 1900s that we saw a shift away from medicinal plants to pharmaceutical drugs across the world. Dioscorides wrote a five-volume Greek encyclopedia on herbal medicine titled “De materia medica,” which was read and followed for more than 1,000 years. So, as you can imagine, hibiscus has been used for medicinal reasons since the beginning of recorded history. Teas are made from hibiscus flower and can be found as a flavoring in common beverages. Hibiscus is, of course, a member of the mallow family, which is made up of many species native to temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world, including North America. Some species are tropical and act as annuals in our climate while others are hardy and grow as herbaceous perennials. Many types grow as woody shrubs and, sometimes, small trees. One interesting fact on the Malvaceae, or mallow, family is that both cacao and cotton are members. These two plants are two of the most economically important crops globally. I personally could not do life without them. Okra also is a member. While okra may be of lesser economic importance, many of us in Louisiana use it as a key ingredient in one of our favorite dishes: gumbo (which, by the way, is a West African word meaning okra).
