Description:
Biennial/Perennial growing to 0.45m.
The Mallow is a robust plant 3 or 4 feet high, growing freely in field, hedgerows and on waste ground. Its stem is round, thick and strong, the leaves stalked, roundish, five to seven lobed, downy, with stellate hairs and the veins prominent on the underside. The flowers are showy, bright mauve-purple, with dark veins. When they first expand in June, the plant is handsome, but as the summer advances, the leaves lose their deep green colour and the stems assume a ragged appearance.
Cattle do not appear to be fond of this plant, every part of which abounds with a mild mucilage.

Distribution and habitat:
Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Hedgerow.
Malva is a genus of about 25 species of herbaceous plants in the family Malvaceae  one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Europe.

Hystory:
This plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance."). Lord Monboddo describes his translation of an ancient epigram that demonstrates malva was planted upon the graves of the ancients, stemming from the belief that the dead could feed on such perfect plants.

Parts used:
The whole herb.

Constituens:


Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Seed.
Edible Uses: Tea.
Leaves - raw or cooked. Mucilaginous with a mild pleasant flavour, they are nice in soups where they act as a thickener. The young leaves also make a very acceptable substitute for lettuce in a salad. Immature seed - raw. Used as a nibble, the seeds have a nice nutty flavour but are too fiddly for most people to want to gather in quantity. Flowers - raw. Added to salads or used as a garnish. A pleasant mild flavour, with a similar texture to the leaves, they make a pleasant and pretty addition to the salad bowl. The leaves are a tea substitute.

Medicinal Uses:
Antiphlogistic; Astringent; Demulcent; Diuretic; Emollient; Expectorant; Laxative; Salve.
All parts of the plant are antiphlogistic, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, laxative, salve. The leaves and flowers can be eaten as part of the diet, or a tea can be made from the leaves, flowers or roots. 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 they can be taken internally in the treatment of respiratory system diseases and problems with the digestive tract. When combined with eucalyptus it makes a god remedy for coughs and other chest ailments. Mallow has similar properties, but is considered to be inferior to the marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) and are seldom used internally. The plant is an excellent laxative for young children. The leaves can be used fresh whenever they are available or can be harvested in the spring and dried for later use. The flowers are harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use.

Others Uses:
Dye; Fibre; Litmus.
Cream, yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the plant and the seed heads. A tincture of the flowers forms a very delicate test for alkalis. The leaves are used to relieve insect bites and stings. A fibre obtained from the stems is useful for cordage, textiles and paper making.

Recipes:
Cough syrup: Place 3 tbsp. fresh crushed herb in ½ cup cold water, let stand 8 hours. Press and strain, add to honey and lemon. Take in tbsp. doses as often as needed.
Tea: To 1 cup cold water add 3 tsp. dried herb or root, or ¼ cup fresh herb, let stand 8 hours. Press and drain, warm, and sweeten to taste.
The root is used dried then ground into a powder, made into a paste and roasted to make the sweet 'marshmallow'. When boiled and then fried with onions it is said to make a palatable dish.
The water left over from cooking any part of the plant especially the root, can be used as an egg-white substitute in making meringues, it is concentrated by boiling until it has a similar consistency to egg white.

Safety:
When grown on nitrogen rich soils (and particularly when these are cultivated inorganically), the plant tends to concentrate high levels of nitrates in its leaves. The leaves are perfectly wholesome at all other times.