Mallow

Today we'll talk about a very useful plant that has high culinary and medicinal potential!

It's often overlooked these days but has been consumed for thousands of years; Mallow.

Plant Profile:

Scientific Name: Malva sp., Althaea officinalis

Preferred Habitat: Along roadsides, in lawns, meadows, gardens, edges of forests, lush areas

Edible Parts: Roots, leaves, stems, flowers, seed pods (the whole plant)

Distribution: Prevalent in most of the United States

Harvest Season: Spring to fall (Roots are best in early spring and late fall respectively)

Key Identifiers: Distinct scallop-shaped leaves with small white or pink flowers (some species have large hibiscus-like flowers) and seed pods that resemble small, wedged cheese wheels.

Toxic Look-Alikes: No existing look-alikes in North America, although other related species can be mistaken for larger mallow species from a distance such as hibiscus or hollyhocks.

Nutrition: (Per 100g)

• Protein: 4.6g

• Fats: 1.4g

• Vitamin C: 24mg

• High in vitamin A

• High in carotenoids

• The fats contain Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids

• High in fiber

• Leaves are high in antioxidants

Uses

Mallow has a few main uses that come with a lot of benefits.

Mallows are a mucilaginous herb group that can be eaten as a salad green, fried, used in soups, dried for teas, or even smoked with other herbs for respiratory health.

Other than food and medicine there are not many uses but what it does, it does very well.

The roots, leaves, flowers, and seed pods are all edible (the entire plant) and have an interesting set of medicinal uses:

• Firstly, they create mucilage. Mucilage is a slick (almost slimy compound) that you will find in some vegetables like okra (in the same family as mallow) and on some seeds such as chia. This is important for humans as it has a tendency to coat your throat and intestines making it easier to get mucus out and soothes coughing. Because of this, it is also a very gentle laxative.

• Second, mallows contain beneficial polysaccharide and antioxidant compounds including phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherols and ALA fatty acids. All of those compounds are what make it such a legendary digestive tract healer and anti-inflammatory herb.

The plant has a mild green flavor which acts to its advantage. Most wild greens we’ve covered tend to be very bitter or can easily get better when temperatures rise, but mallow stays mild and tends to absorb whatever flavors it’s cooked with!

The seed pods are often compared to wedged cheese wheels earning it the nickname “Cheeseweed” or “Cheese plant” despite not tasting anything like cheese.

Growth Habits

I mostly find mallows in lawns, but some species (such as musk mallow) I tend to find more in weedy grasslands. Mallows can tolerate a wide range of soils, and once you see them you will find them everywhere!

Common mallow is likely going to be the first species you find in North America. In almost every state it is considered a non-native naturalized plant and can be pretty easy to find. (The exception to this is in West Virginia which considers the plant invasive within the state).

Some mallow species might not be as common and will grow taller and with larger flowers (such as musk mallow) but are still as good for food and medicine.

While mallows are generally in the same genus (Malva) there are other genus that are grouped in the same family as being closely related (Alcea, or Althaea for example).

History and Other Uses:

Mallow was grown and regularly eaten by the ancient Egyptians as a salad green which they would either cook or eat fresh. While there are many species of mallow, one particular species Althaea officinalis was most commonly consumed and cultivated. This is the plant known as “Marsh Mallow”.

Traditionally they would also take the mucilage from the roots and whip it with honey for a sweet food. This later was refined by the French who started whipping it with sugar and then drying it into a stretchy sweet dessert that they called “marshmallows”.

Pliny the Elder (a famous Roman botanist who you will see me reference more in the future) believed that having mallow juice every day would prevent almost any sickness. There is truth to the fact that it is densely nutritious!

Cultivars

Mallow nutrition does vary a little bit by species, but regardless you are likely to have a nutritious and medicinal plant on your hands no matter what species you choose to grow in the garden.

Here are a few cultivars to get you started:

• Rose Mallow - A good size with some larger blooms and pretty color varieties.

• Hollyhock Mallow - (Malva sylvestris) has some beautiful color variations and is known for its medicinal properties.

Mallow is definitely worth foraging or adding to your garden though, it is an underrated food and medicine!

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