Althaea officinalis 'Marshmallow' 

[Ex. Norfolk, England]

Malvaceae: an attractive, downy perennial to 2m, soft starry hairs, very soft to touch. Found in coastal wetlands and often on the upper reaches of saltmarshes. The flowers are 35-40mm across, pale pink, blooming from August-September. The seeds are arranged in flat rounded capsules. The leaves are triangular with shallow lobes. Locally common on the South coasts of Britain and Ireland. Native to Central and southern Europe, including Britain, to North Africa and Western Asia.

USES:

The leaves can be used raw or cooked, they are used as a potherb or to thicken soups. When used as a small proportion with other leaves, the taste and texture is acceptable, but if a lot of the leaves are cooked together their mucilaginous texture makes them unpalatable. The leaves can be eaten raw but are rather fibrous and somewhat hairy, though the taste is mild and pleasant. We have found them to be quite acceptable in salads when chopped up finely. The root can be used raw or cooked, boiled and then fried with onions it is said to make a palatable dish that is often used in times of shortage. The root can be dried then ground into a powder, made into a paste and roasted to make the sweet 'marshmallow’.

Marshmallow is a very useful household medicinal herb, its soothing demulcent properties make it very effective in treating inflammations and irritations of the mucous membranes such as the alimentary canal, the urinary and the respiratory organs. The root counters excess stomach acid, peptic ulceration and gastritis. It is also applied externally to bruises, sprains, aching muscles, insect bites, skin inflammations, splinters. The whole plant, but especially the root, is antitussive, demulcent, diuretic, highly emollient, slightly laxative and odontalgic. An infusion of the leaves is used to treat cystitis and frequent urination. The leaves are harvested in August when the plant is just coming into flower and can be dried for later use. The root can be used in an ointment for treating boils and abscesses. The root is best harvested in the autumn, preferably from 2-year-old plants, and is dried for later use.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Sow seeds in spring or autumn in a cold frame or greenhouse. Germination is often erratic, a short cold stratification can improve germination rates and time. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.

HARVESTED:

 
APPROX. 100+ SEEDS