The Herbarium
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Marshmallow botanical plate

Herb. No. 049 · Malvaceae

RangeFig. atlas
Approximate native range — a teaching atlas, not a survey

Salt marshes and river edges of Europe and western Asia.

Native · Europe · West Asia

Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant

Marshmallow

Althaea officinalis

Medicinal herbsHarvest

A velvety marsh mallow whose root and leaf soothe raw mucosa.

Mucilage is the medicine — a slippery coat for throat, gut, and bladder irritation. Cold infusion extracts it better than a rolling boil. A beautiful silver perennial for damp ground.

Flavor

Mild, sweet-vegetal, and distinctly slippery — almost no bitterness.

Parts used

Root · Leaf · Flower

Helpful

  • Very gentle
  • Lovely garden plant
  • Pairs with hotter herbs

Cautions

  • May slow absorption of medicines taken at the same moment
  • Needs damp soil

Field assistant

Ask about traditional use, safety, or the law. The assistant will not teach illegal cultivation or give medical orders.

Related symptoms

coughsore throatindigestionirritable skin

Teas with this plant

Remedies with this plant

  • Sage and thyme gargle

    Adult: gargle 1 cup, 2–3 times a day, for 2–3 days. Do not swallow cup after cup of strong sage — thujone lives there.

  • Slippery elm or marshmallow coat

    Adult: 1 tsp elm powder or 1 tbsp chopped marshmallow root per 8 oz, 1–3 times a day, short course. Never swallow dry powder.

Harvest this plant

When to cut, how to dry, and how to store it — garden and kitchen crops only.

Open harvest notes