Tropical annual reaching 3 m, grown for bast fibre extracted from the stems. The second most important plant fibre after cotton, used for sacking, hessian, twine, and increasingly geotextiles.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 9–11 | −6.7 °C to 10 °C | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
| RHS hardiness rating | H2 | 1 °C to 5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 5–7 | 5 °C and warmer | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
As a tender annual, Jute doesn't overwinter — the zone range shows where the growing season supports it. See the RHS rating for its actual cold tolerance.
Growing notes
- Bast fibre extracted by retting whole stems in slow-moving water for two to three weeks, then stripping the softened fibre from the stem
- Concentrated in the Ganges delta of Bangladesh and West Bengal — depends on the high humidity, monsoon water and warm temperatures of that region
- Young leaves are eaten as a leafy vegetable across West Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean — known as mulukhiyah / saluyot
- Frost-tender, fast-growing — fully tropical crop
- Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Jute against your zones