Malva alcea
| Malva alcea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 4' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Malva alcea
Propagation: Seed - best sown in early spring in a cold frame. The seed germinates quickly and easily. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in their permanent positions in the early summer[K].
If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in the middle to late spring.
Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Cultivation: A very easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil[1], though it prefers a reasonably well-drained and moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[2].
A very ornamental and polymorphic plant[1][3]. It tends to be quite short-lived in cultivation but usually self-sows when well-sited[4][K]. It is closely related to M. excisa[5].
If the plant is cut back to the ground as it comes into flower, then it will produce a fresh flush of leaves for salads[K].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[4] and are seldom bothered by slugs[K].
Plants are prone to infestation by rust fungus[2].
Range: Europe. An occasional casual in Britain.
Habitat: Gardens, vineyards and waste places[5].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[5]. A mild pleasant flavour[K]. The leaves are mucilaginous and fairly bland, this is a very good perennial substitute for lettuce in a salad, producing fresh leaves from spring until the middle of summer, or until the autumn from self-sown plants[K].
Flowers - raw[K]. A very decorative addition to the salad bowl, they have a mild flavour and a texture similar to the leaves[K].
Seed - raw[5]. Best used before it is fully mature, the seed has a pleasant nutty taste but it is rather small and fiddly to harvest[K].
Medicinal: The leaves are demulcent. They are also used as a mouthwash for inflammatory and catarrhal conditions[5].
Usage: A fibre obtained from the stem is used for making cordage[5].
Cream, yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the plant and the seed heads[6].
The seed yields 15% oil[5]. The uses of this oil have not been given though it is almost certainly edible[K].
Pollinators: Insects
Notes: Excellent for the edible flower garden, in a few years time it could also go into the woodland garden.
We can supply in summer, or you can grow it from seed.
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although we have seen no reports of toxicity for this species, when grown on nitrogen rich soils (and particularly when these are cultivated inorganically), the leaves of some species tend to concentrate high levels of nitrates in their leaves[7]. The le
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.