AKA: edible hibiscus, Tongan spinach

Commonly known as bele, Abelmoschus manihot is a superfood everyone should grow. It’s so easy to cultivate that even those without a green thumb should be successful. This species was once in the Hibiscus genus. While the flowers look similar, bele flowers don’t hold a candle to the striking beauty of other hibiscus species. Still in the same family as Hibiscus (Malvaceae), bele is now in the okra genus. They share the same slimy texture when cooked, and they are both useful vegetables that grow well in the tropics. Bele has a wide range of leaf shapes, from narrow to slightly lobed to deeply lobed to heart-shaped. 

Native tropical Asia, bele has long been in cultivation. Seeds were sold in catalogs as early as 1806. The plant has been in cultivation in Hawaii since at least 1965, with no reports of naturalizing or escaping the garden. At least two cultivars exist in Hawaii. “Sunset” has a reddish stem with lobed leaves, while “Green Jade” has a green stem with heart-shaped leaves. Today in Hawaii, it’s rare or non-existent for them to produce seeds, and their seeds have low germination rates. Instead, cultivation is done vegetatively. 

Propagation and care

Bele is a “cut and poke” plant. It is so easy to vegetatively reproduce that rooting hormones are not required. Cut the stems into 12-inch segments at an angle using clippers. Remember what side is the growing tip!!! Bury at least one node under the soil, keeping the growing tip upward. The plant will yield leaves to harvest in as little as four months after planting. This tender perennial will produce for a long while if taken care of well.

It can be grown in the garden or as a potted plant. The plant can grow in full sun to part shade. It grows well in a wide range of soil types; however, moist, well-drained soils are best. A little manure as fertilizer will help it produce the nutrient-rich leaves. Bele is drought tolerant after it’s established, but regular water will still make a better leaf. It suffers from the typical garden variety pests. Grasshoppers and slugs will be its worst enemy. We should always be vigilant against rat lungworm when slugs are present, so cook your leafy greens well!

Nutritious and medicinal

Bele is often steamed or boiled. It can be used to wrap fish or other meat and steamed in coconut milk. Or use them as grape leaves and make dolmades. Some put it in stir fry or eat it steamed like collard greens. Garlic and salt are delicious spices to add to the bele dish. There are many recipes available on the internet. Some people switch spinach for bele in cooked spinach recipes. 

Considered the most nutritious vegetable in Oceania, this plant is an ancient powerhouse of nutrients. It packs twice as much protein as spinach, up to 20% of the daily recommended dose. It has vitamin A, fiber, vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, and minerals, including iron, potassium, and calcium. As a demulcent, ingesting bele helps relieve throat irritation. Medicinally, bele helps with symptoms such as dysentery, diarrhea, skin rashes, and colds. As cliche as it may sound, bele is a superfood everyone in the tropics should be growing.