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Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis)

Perennial
View Images of Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis)
Common Name Latin Name Plant Family
Marsh Mallow
Althaea officinalis
Malvaceae

The dried root is used as a toothbrush or is chewed by teething children[6, 7]. It has a mechanical affect on the gums whilst also helping to ease the pain. The root is also used as a cosmetic, helping to soften the skin[7].

A fibre from the stem and roots is used in paper-making[46, 61, 74, 115].

The dried and powdered root has been used to bind the active ingredients when making pills for medicinal use[268].

A glue can be made from the root[74]. The root is boiled in water until a thick syrup is left in the pan, this syrup is used as a glue.

An oil from the seed is used in making paints and varnishes[74].

  • Medicinal Use

    Marsh mallow 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[4, 254]. The root counters excess stomach acid, peptic ulceration and gastritis[254]. It is also applied externally to bruises, sprains, aching muscles, insect bites, skin inflammations, splinters etc[4, 238].

    The whole plant, but especially the root, is antitussive, demulcent, diuretic, highly emollient, slightly laxative and odontalgic[4, 17, 21, 46, 165]. An infusion of the leaves is used to treat cystitis and frequent urination[254]. The leaves are harvested in August when the plant is just coming into flower and can be dried for later use[4]. The root can be used in an ointment for treating boils and abscesses[254]. The root is best harvested in the autumn, preferably from 2 year old plants, and is dried for later use[238].

  • Edible Use

    Leaves – raw or cooked[2, 4, 100]. They are used as a potherb or to thicken soups[62, 183]. 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[K]. The leaves can be eaten raw but are rather fibrous and somewhat hairy, though the taste is mild and pleasant[K]. We have found them to be quite acceptable in salads when chopped up finely[K].

    Root – raw or cooked[61]. When boiled and then fried with onions it is said to make a palatable dish that is often used in times of shortage[4]. The root is used as a vegetable[62, 141, 183], it is also dried then ground into a powder, made into a paste and roasted to make the sweet ‘marshmallow'[4, 5, 7, 17, 61]. The root contains about 37% starch, 11% mucilage, 11% pectin[254].

    The water left over from cooking any part of the plant can be used as an egg-white substitute in making meringues etc[62]. The water from the root is the most effective[183], it is concentrated by boiling until it has a similar consistency to egg white.

    A tea is made from the flowers[183]. A tea can also be made from the root[183].

  • Cautionary Notes

    None known

Cultivation & Habitat

Seed – sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in late summer, the germination is often erratic[238]. 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[K]. Division in spring or autumn. Fairly easy, it is best to pot up the divisions in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing away well and then plant them out into their permanent positions. Root cuttings in December.
Succeeds in almost any soil and situation[1, 4, 200], though it prefers a rich moist soil in a sunny position[4, 200]. It also tolerates fairly dry soil conditions[1]. Plants are hardy to about -25¡c[187]. Marsh mallow is often cultivated in the herb garden, as a culinary and medicinal herb as well as for ornament[61]. Its roots were at one time the source of the sweet ‘marsh mallow’, but this sweet is now made without using the plant[4].
Central and southern Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa and W. Asia.

Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.

*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.

As with ALL things; Take only what resonates with your heart and higher self, and leave the rest behind.

Repository of Divination tools, News, Elements, Spells, Rituals, Clearings, Entities, Ascension; Kitty is a magpie at heart, gathering information trinkets from everywhere and sharing them here in hopes that some might shine a light on your journey in this Incarnation. Please only take what resonates with your heart and leave the rest behind. Tionscadal Mo Chroi (Project of my heart) Lovingly curated by Kitty, bean draío leabharlannaí (Librarian Witch)

  • For any question, you can cast a handful or bag of Runes and read the meaning of the runes that land face up only.
  • You may cast them into a circle (drawn with chalk or as a pattern on a cloth). Read the runes that land inside the circle AND face up.
  • If The Eye (Witches Rune) or Tiwaz (Elder Futhark) appears amongst the runes when cast, pay extra attention to where the eye is looking or Tiwaz is pointing.
  • Pro Tip: You can also use runes just as you would the Tarot, with ANY tarot spread. Simply pull one at a time from your bag to fill the layout.

*while Witches’ and Elder Futhark are different sets of runes, (just as English and Gaelic are different languages) I use mine together;  my rune casts are “bilingual”. I have made the same choice in my online rune layouts. Alainn Tarot interactive includes both sets at the same time. 

These are plants that grow in my own yard or elements that I keep in stock personally, gathered in a single category for my own quick navigation.