Malva moschata

About Malva moschata

Malva species, All members of this genus have edible leaves and flowers, making useful salad plants. Try Musk Mallow (M. moschata) or Vervain Mallow (M. alcea). Musk Mallow is native to European regions, including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey. Leaves are eaten raw or cooked and have a mild, pleasant flavour. They are mucilaginous and somewhat bland, but their texture makes them a good bulk addition to salads, especially during the summer. Musk mallow leaves are an excellent perennial substitute for lettuce, as they produce fresh leaves from spring through mid-summer and even into autumn from spring-germinated plants. Raw flowers with a mild flavour are used as a decorative addition to salads. Seeds are edible raw and harvested before they are fully mature. They have a pleasant, nutty taste but are small and difficult to harvest in large quantities. All parts of Musk Mallow have been used medicinally. They are antiphlogistic (anti-inflammatory), astringent, demulcent (soothing), diuretic, emollient (softening), expectorant, laxative, and can be used in salves. Musk Mallow is an ornamental plant that is relatively easy to grow. The crushed leaves emit a musk-like fragrance. Although the plant is generally short-lived, it self-sows freely in suitable conditions and can maintain itself without much intervention. Pruning the plant back to the main branches when it comes into flower can encourage a fresh flush of leaves in late summer, providing additional salad greens. Harvesting: Leaves and flowers in late spring to summer. Flowers from late spring to summer. Bloom Color: Pink, White. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.

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