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Summary
Malva species,
All members of this genus have edible leaves and flowers, making useful salad plants. Try Musk Mallow (M. moschata) or Vervain Mallow (M. alcea). Musk Mallow is native to European regions, including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey. Leaves are eaten raw or cooked and have a mild, pleasant flavour. They are mucilaginous and somewhat bland, but their texture makes them a good bulk addition to salads, especially during the summer. Musk mallow leaves are an excellent perennial substitute for lettuce, as they produce fresh leaves from spring through mid-summer and even into autumn from spring-germinated plants. Raw flowers with a mild flavour are used as a decorative addition to salads. Seeds are edible raw and harvested before they are fully mature. They have a pleasant, nutty taste but are small and difficult to harvest in large quantities.
All parts of Musk Mallow have been used medicinally. They are antiphlogistic (anti-inflammatory), astringent, demulcent (soothing), diuretic, emollient (softening), expectorant, laxative, and can be used in salves.
Musk Mallow is an ornamental plant that is relatively easy to grow. The crushed leaves emit a musk-like fragrance. Although the plant is generally short-lived, it self-sows freely in suitable conditions and can maintain itself without much intervention. Pruning the plant back to the main branches when it comes into flower can encourage a fresh flush of leaves in late summer, providing additional salad greens.
Harvesting: Leaves and flowers in late spring to summer. Flowers from late spring to summer.
Bloom Color: Pink, White. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.
Physical Characteristics
Malva moschata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in) by 0.6 m (2ft) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Plant Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Meadow; Hedgerow;
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers Leaves Seed
Edible Uses:
Leaves - raw or cooked[K]. A mild pleasant flavour[K]. The leaves are mucilaginous and fairly bland, we use them in bulk in summer salads[K]. They make a very good perennial substitute for lettuce in a salad, producing fresh leaves from spring until the middle of summer, or until the autumn from spring germinating plants[K]. Flowers - raw[K]. A very decorative addition to the salad bowl, they have a very mild flavour[K]. Seed - raw. Best used before it is fully mature, the seed has a pleasant nutty taste but it is rather small and fiddly to harvest[K].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antiphlogistic Astringent Demulcent Diuretic Emollient Expectorant Laxative Poultice
Salve Urinary
All parts of the plant are antiphlogistic, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, laxative, salve[4, 7, 9, 21, 46, 222, 238]. The leaves and flowers can be eaten as part of the diet, or a tea can be made from the leaves, flowers or roots[222]. The leaves and flowers are the main part used, their demulcent properties making them valuable as a poultice for bruise, inflammations, insect bites etc, or taken internally in the treatment of respiratory system diseases or inflammation of the digestive or urinary systems[4, 238]. They have similar properties, but are considered to be inferior, to the common mallow (M. sylvestris) and the marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) and are seldom used internally[4]. The plant is an excellent laxative for young children[7].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Dye Fibre
Agroforestry uses:
Mallow can be used as a cover crop to improve soil quality and prevent erosion. Its leaves can also be used as mulch, and the flowers attract pollinators.
Cream, yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the plant and the seed heads[168]. A fibre obtained from the stems is used for cordage, textiles and paper making[115]. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen:
Yes – Mallow flowers are known to be attractive to pollinators, providing nectar and pollen that benefit bees and other beneficial insects.
2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting):
Yes – The leaves and flowers of Malva species are edible and can provide food for various wildlife, including insects and birds. The plant may also offer some shelter due to its dense foliage.
3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover):
Yes – Mallow can provide cover for invertebrates and its leaf litter can serve as a habitat for beneficial insects. The plant can also create ground cover, aiding in soil retention and habitat creation.
4. Pest Confuser (Smell):
No – Mallow is not particularly recognized for its ability to confuse pests through its scent.
Special Uses
Food Forest Scented Plants
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
Landscape Uses:Border A very easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil[1], though it prefers a reasonably well-drained and moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[200]. Hardy to about -25°c[187]. A very ornamental plant[1]. It is very variable in form, especially with regard to the degree of laciniation of the leaves[17]. The crushed leaves have a musk-like smell[245]. Plants are generally quite short-lived though they can self-sow freely when in a suitable position and usually more than maintain themselves[233, K]. If the plant is pruned back to the main branches as it comes into flower, then it will produce a fresh flush of leaves in late summer for salad use[K]. A good plant for the summer meadow[24]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233]. Prone to infestation by rust fungus[200]. Special Features:
Attractive foliage, Edible, Fragrant foliage, Not North American native, Naturalizing. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures.
Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat.
The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C).
At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days).
For example, Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design and the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub, etc. and size shown above), information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. An evergreen. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread [1-2]. Many Malva species are self-fertile, allowing for adequate pollination within the same flower. Leaves and flowers can be harvested in late spring to summer, depending on the species and climate.
Mallow typically flowers from late spring to summer.
Mallow has a moderate growth rate and can establish itself quickly. It often produces flowers within the first year of growth.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:
Fahrenheit:
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Plant Propagation
Seed - best sown in early spring in a cold frame. The seed germinates quickly and easily. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in their permanent positions in the early summer[K]. If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in the middle to late spring. Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer. Cuttings of side shoots, July/August in a cold frame[111].
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Native Range
TEMPERATE ASIA: Turkey. EUROPE: United Kingdom (U.K.), Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sicily), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, France,
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :
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| Latin Name | Common Name | Habit | Height | Hardiness | Growth | Soil | Shade | Moisture | Edible | Medicinal | Other |
| Abelmoschus esculentus | Okra | Annual | 1.0 |
5-11
| | LMH | N | M | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Abelmoschus manihot | Aibika | Perennial | 3.0 |
8-11
| F | LMH | N | M | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Abelmoschus moschatus | Musk Mallow,Musk Okra | Perennial | 2.0 |
8-11
| F | LMH | N | M | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Abroma augusta | Cotton Abroma. Perennial Indian Hemp. | Shrub | 3.0 |
10-12
| F | LMH | N | M | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Abutilon megapotamicum | Trailing Abutilon | Shrub | 2.0 |
7-10
| F | LMH | SN | M | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Abutilon ochsenii | | Shrub | 4.0 |
7-10
| | LMH | SN | M | 3 | 0 | |
| Abutilon pictum | Abutilon, Parlour Maple, Flowering Maple, Spotted | Shrub | 5.0 |
8-10
| M | LMH | SN | M | 3 | 0 | |
| Abutilon purpurascens | | Shrub | 2.4 |
8-11
| | LMH | SN | DM | 2 | 0 | |
| Abutilon species | | Shrub | 3.0 |
7-10
| | LMH | SN | M | 3 | 0 | |
| Abutilon theophrasti | China Jute, Velvetleaf, Butterprint Buttonweed Jute, China Mallow, Indian Velvet Leaf | Annual | 1.0 |
0-0
| | LMH | SN | DM | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Abutilon vitifolium | | Shrub | 8.0 |
7-10
| | LMH | SN | M | 3 | 0 | |
| Abutilon x hybridum | Chinese Lantern, Flowering Maple | Shrub | 3.0 |
9-11
| F | LMH | SN | M | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Abutilon x milleri | Trailing Abutilon | Shrub | 3.0 |
7-10
| | LMH | SN | M | 3 | 0 | |
| Abutilon x suntense | | Shrub | 8.0 |
7-10
| F | LMH | SN | M | 3 | 0 | |
| Adansonia digitata | Baobab, Judas Fruit, Monkey Bread Tree | Tree | 20.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | DM | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Alcea rosea | Hollyhock | Perennial | 2.4 |
5-9
| F | LMH | N | DM | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Althaea cannabina | Palm-leaf marshmallow | Perennial | 1.8 |
4-8
| | LMH | N | DM | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Althaea officinalis | Marsh Mallow, Common marshmallow | Perennial | 1.2 |
3-7
| M | LMH | N | DM | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Bombax ceiba | Red Silk Cotton Tree, Kapok Tree | Tree | 25.0 |
10-12
| M | LMH | N | DM | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Burretiodendron hsienmu | Hsienmu wood | Tree | 35.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | M | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Callirhoe digitata | Finger Poppy Mallow, Winecup | Perennial | 0.9 |
4-8
| | L | N | DM | 2 | 0 | |
| Callirhoe involucrata | Poppy Mallow, Purple poppymallow, Winecup, Finger Poppy Mallow | Perennial | 0.2 |
4-8
| M | L | N | DM | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Callirhoe leiocarpa | Tall Poppy-Mallow | Annual | 0.9 |
5-9
| | L | N | DM | 2 | 0 | |
| Ceiba aesculifolia | Pochote | Tree | 25.0 |
10-12
| M | LMH | N | DM | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Ceiba pentandra | Kapok Tree, Cotton Tree, Suma'ma | Tree | 50.0 |
10-12
| F | MH | N | DM | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Clappertonia ficifolia | Bolo Bolo | Shrub | 2.5 |
10-12
| F | LM | N | MWe | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Cola acuminata | Cola Nut, Kola, Bissy Nut | Tree | 20.0 |
10-12
| M | LMH | N | M | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Cola nitida | Cola Nut, Kola, Bissy Nuts | Tree | 20.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | SN | DM | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Durio dulcis | Durian Marangang, Merangang, Red Durian, Tutong, Lahong | Tree | 30.0 |
11-12
| M | LMH | N | M | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Durio zibethinus | Durian | Tree | 30.0 |
10-12
| M | LMH | N | M | 5 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
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