A beautiful characteristic of local food is that there are many varieties of the same plant. Each one has a different duration, physiology, taste, and usage.

In Solitude Farm, we have four varieties of rosella. One with white fruits and very pokey leaves, one with red leaves, one with yellow flowers, the others with maroon flowers, etc

We have only used one variety to make jam, and I am very interested to see how the other fruits taste.

The stem of the rosella is used to make a very strong rope, but not all varieties, and we still have to learn to do so. It is the same with the leaves. They all have a delicious sourness, but we only know one variety, which is used to make a curry.

Diversity is always amazing and inspiring. If you grow only one variety, you are limited to that variety and its usages, etc. different varieties mean rosella in so many ways!