Related to marsh mallows, the Malva spp. of mallow around Haliburton isn’t native. But it is an edible and medicinal wild plant with similar uses to the more popular marshmallow herb.
Common mallow (Malva neglecta) is rare around Haliburton. You’re much more likely to find white or pink flowered musk mallow (Malva moschata), listed as uncommon in Haliburton Flora. Their flowers look similar but the two species have quite different leaves. Neither are native here.
Edible Uses of Common Mallow
The young leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked. As usual, older greens become tough and bitter. Since the plant is mucilaginous, it can be used to thicken stews. The leaves make a soothing tea as well.
Nutty immature seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. The older seeds can be used as a grain.
The flower buds, flowers and fruits are all edible.
To make meringue boil the roots and skim off the mucilage for a meringue-like substitute for egg whites. I haven’t tested this, but will one day and I’ll update.
Medicinal Uses of Common Mallow
Common mallow is primarily said to support these body systems:
- Digestive
- Integumentary
Medicinal tags include Anti-inflammatory, Astringent, Laxative, and Mucilage. See Medicinal tag key for more information.
Common usage includes, like its cousin marshmallow, the fresh or dried leaves for a tea to soothe mucous membranes. It’s more of a substitute when marshmallow isn’t available. The mucilage is soothing to skin, stomach, throat, etc. The leaves can also be chewed fresh to soothe a sore throat.
Alternative Uses of Mallows
The root can be used to clean teeth, like a wild toothbrush.
Cream, yellow and green dyes can all be obtained from different parts of the plant.
Growing Malva SPP.
For a similar look, swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is our native “mallow” and its status in Ontario is vulnerable or of special concern. It’s in the same subfamily as musk mallow, Malvoideae, but breaks away at tribe level. If you have a wetland you can sow this plant and it’ll form a large beautiful colony.
WARNINGS
And the Usual Cautions:
1) Most medicinal herbs, if edible, are meant to be eaten in moderation, even sparingly. Some require extra preparation. Tannins are toxic if consumed in excess. Before taking any new supplements, you should consult with a healthcare professional.
2) A vast amount of these herbs are diuretic. (See the Medicinal tags above to check if this featured herb is one of them!) Diuretics are generally safe, but they can be risky for people with other medical conditions or who take certain medications. Please consult your doctor if you have any health conditions.
3) People can be allergic or sensitive to nearly any plant; try new herbs one at a time at your own risk. For instance, saponins commonly cause stomach upset.
4) For serious medicinal use, I must recommend receiving a diagnosis and working with a reputed health care provider. I generally do not post specific treatments and dosages because I think that is best between you and your health care provider, and ideally monitored.
5) Anyone pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription drugs should talk to a health care professional before adding new food items to their diet.
6) Many plants have look-a-likes, and sometimes they are poisonous.
#ads in References
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Every book I reference that is available on Amazon is linked to with an associates link.
Disclaimer for Song of the Woods
If you require any more information or have any questions about our site’s disclaimer, please feel free to contact us by email at rachel@songofthewoods.com.
Disclaimers for Song of the Woods
All the information on this website – https://www.songofthewoods.com/ – is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Song of the Woods does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website (Song of the Woods), is strictly at your own risk. Song of the Woods will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website.
From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone ‘bad’.
Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their “Terms of Service” before engaging in any business or uploading any information.
Consent
By using our website, you hereby consent to our disclaimer and agree to its terms.
Update
Should we update, amend or make any changes to this document, those changes will be prominently posted here.
REFERENCES
My new favourite foraging book is Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: of Eastern and Central North America (The Sam Thayer’s Field Guides) Paperback – June 1, 2023 and this plant IS featured as one of the edible wild plants in this area. I highly recommend this guide for your bookshelves!
Malva Linnaeus – Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN)
Herbal Antibiotics, 2nd Edition: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-resistant Bacteria
Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants (Out of Print)
Leave a Reply