Althaea officinalis – Native Plant Search

Native Range

A native plant refers to a species of plant that has naturally evolved and grown in a particular geographic area without any human intervention or introduction. These plants have adapted to the local climate, soil, and ecological conditions over an extended period of time, often thousands of years. Because of this co-evolution with their specific environment, native plants have developed characteristics that make them well-suited to the local ecosystem and provide essential resources for local wildlife.

Native plants play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of an area. They provide food and habitat for native wildlife, support pollinators like bees and butterflies, and contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem. Additionally, native plants often require fewer resources like water and fertilizers compared to non-native or exotic plants that may not be well-suited to the local environment.

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Native Continent

Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical, Europe, Africa

Asia-Temperate

Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Eastern Siberia (southwest), Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation-Western Siberia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Western Siberia (south), Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu,Afghanistan

Asia-Tropical

Pakistan,

Europe

Denmark, United Kingdom (U.K.), Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Russian Federation-European part, European part (south), Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym), Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania, Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal,

Africa

Algeria (north), Tunisia (northeast)

Natural Habitat

Edible Uses

Leaves - 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. Root - raw or cooked. When boiled and then fried with onions it is said to make a palatable dish that is often used in times of shortage. The root is used as a vegetable, it is also dried then ground into a powder, made into a paste and roasted to make the sweet 'marshmallow'. The root contains about 37% starch, 11% mucilage, 11% pectin. The water left over from cooking any part of the plant can be used as an egg-white substitute in making meringues etc. The water from the root is the most effective, it is concentrated by boiling until it has a similar consistency to egg white. A tea is made from the flowers. A tea can also be made from the root.