Wildly popular, the Rosella hibiscus used in Aussie bush tucker hails from Africa

A spectacular flower used to make cordial, jam and tea is flowering on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. It even adds a kick to your glass of champagne.

Rosellas, also known as 'wild hibiscus', are popular with foodies across Australia due to their unique tart flavour.

Rosella flowers growing on Queensland's Sunshine Coast ( Photo : Marty McCarthy)

The flower, which is blood red in colour, is common throughout parts of Queensland and northern Australia and popular amongst indigenous Australians.

But despite the uptake of rosellas in Australian cuisine and bush tucker, the flower isn't actually native as many people believe.

"It's actually from Africa but it's often classed an Aussie bush tucker," grower Sally Hookey said.

"Originally I did think they were an Australian thing too, because we always grew them when I was young and made jam from them.

"But they also use them in Egypt, where they make a tea out of it and call it 'Egyptian red'.

"Everyone claims it as their own, but it's actually African."

Ms Hookey said most of Australia's supply of rosellas comes from backyard growers, because the flower is too time-consuming to process and sell commercially.

"We grow them primarily to put in our jams and we also make a tea from them," she said.

"We also sell them as a product to other jam-makers because they are not grown much nowadays."

Source : ABC Rural   Marty Mc Carthy    April 8th 2015