Common Names
Musk Mallow

Botanical Name
Malva moschata

Plant Family
Malvaceae (Mallow Family)

Native Range
UK, Europe

Life Cycle
Perennial

Hardiness Zone
3-10

Habit
To 3ft tall and 1.5-2’ wide. Pink, and sometimes white, flowers resemble hollyhocks.

Sun/Soil
Mallow plants enjoy moist fertile soil and a sunny to partly sunny spot, but are surprisingly drought tolerant as well.

Germination/Sowing
Seeds germinate easily and can be direct sown in fall or spring, or started in flats in the spring and then transplanted. 

Growing/Care
Plants can be cut back in fall time. Musk Mallow is not a fussy plant to grow, and will tolerate all sorts of conditions.

Harvesting
The leaves and flowers are harvested for use in the summer, the roots are dug in the fall.

Culinary Uses
The entire plant is edible. A useful food plant, the young leaves were very popular cooked as a vegetable in 19th century Europe.

Medicinal Uses
Musk Mallow has a long history of use in European folk medicine for its soothing mucilage content. The leaves, seeds, and roots can be harvested and used for their demulcent and emollient properties. A cold infusion is especially nice to soothe sore throats and dry coughs.

A poultice of the fresh leaves or roots can be applied to soothe skin irritations such as rashes, chapped skin, eczema, or contact dermatitis. Similar in medicinal properties to Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) but considered milder, also useful in digestive disorders such as heartburn, indigestion, colitis, and stomach ulcers.

The flowers, though less medicinally potent than other plant parts, look very lovely in tea blends and lend their gorgeous deep magenta colour to your herbal infusions.

Other Uses
Mallow has also been used to produce natural yellow, cream, and green dyes.

Like other Mallow Family members, Musk Mallow is a valuable species that provides both pollen and nectar to our precious bees.

Themes
Apothecary Garden, Low Maintenance, Deer Resistant, Attracts Pollinators, Cut Flowers.