Marshmallow

A small perennial plant growing to around 1 m high with thick downy leaves and white flowers. It likes moist, well drained soil and it won’t tolerate dry conditions.  .

Marshmallow has many medicinal uses and is soothing on mucous membrane surfaces, and good for coughs and bronchitis. In the world of magic, it is a feminine plant ruled by water.

Mallow is one of those miracle plants where the whole plant is edible – roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. The fruits are a little nutty in flavour.

This is the plant responsible for the sticky sweet treat we all know and love and the sugary confection has been made from the root of the Marshmallow plant since ancient times. A quick web search will lead you to many recipes to make marshmallows at home using the root. It is also a lovely, ornamental plant in addition to its medicinal and culinary properties.

Germination rates can be improved by cold stratifying the seed prior to sowing. To do this mix equal parts of seed and damp sand in a container and store in the refrigerator (not freezer) for 6 weeks. Do not use sand that is dripping wet otherwise your seeds may rot.  Remove the container from your refrigerator and sit the container in lukewarm water overnight before sowing out the seeds. This process tricks the seeds into thinking they’ve experienced a cold Winter and the warm soak afterwards helps to speed up germination.

After stratification, seeds are best started indoors for a few weeks before transplanting outside. in mid to late spring. Keep germinating seeds moist, and transplant to larger containers, gradually acclimating to outdoor conditions.

When transplanting, space plants 12 inches apart and surround with mulch. The plants prefer moist soils or marsh with good drainage. Once established, the Marshmallow plant is known to self-seed but not in an aggressive way.

During growing season, the flowers and leaves are edible and can be added in salads or other dishes in small amounts. Marshmallow roots can be harvested after the second or third year. Use a sharp knife to cut the root before the soil has frozen. Make sure to clean the root thoroughly, dry and cut immediately.

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